onus

noun

ˈō-nəs How to pronounce onus (audio)
Definition of onusnext
1
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace hoping to avoid the onus of failure by lowering expectations ahead of time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure he perpetually tries to shift the onus for any mistakes onto other team members

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of onus While private property owners may still prohibit firearms on their premises, the onus now falls entirely on those owners to post signage banning guns. — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 25 June 2026 The onus is on retailers and brands to create multiple touchpoints customers need to believe the business is legitimate. — Catherine Erdly, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 With solar and wind energy technologies reaching their efficiency limits, the onus of generating large amounts of carbon-free energy is likely to fall on nuclear technologies. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026 The move differs from Spotify and Apple Music’s requirements, which place the onus for providing AI labels on artists and distributors. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for onus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onus
  1. stain
  2. blame
  3. stigma
  4. guilt
  5. taint
  6. blot
  7. shame
Noun
  • The puncture left a hole in his sock between his big and middle toes, where a red stain formed.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • The latter would put a permanent stain on the 2026 World Cup and potentially damage the future of the sport in the United States.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • Instead, when concerns arise, blame is routinely shifted, and responsibility becomes one-sided.
    — Mark Travers, CNBC, 5 July 2026
  • Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • Biddinger hopes the shrine at Queen of Heaven will help diminish the stigma that still often surrounds suicide.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Experts say the misconceptions have often delayed diagnosis and brought stigma for children and their families.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of stigma
Noun
  • There are other options, but regardless of what’s on the table for the future, burnout deserves to be taken seriously rather than explained away out of pride, guilt, or habit.
    — Scott Hanson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Crafted with better-for-you ingredients, Javvy's Instant Protein Coffee blend and viral Coffee Concentrate deliver guilt-free indulgence, offering craveable flavors without compromise.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of guilt
Noun
  • The prosecutor’s subjective good faith does not cure the retaliatory taint.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • There’s a purity here, the course free from the taint of bureaucracy governing so much of the academy.
    — Peter Wayne Moe, Longreads, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of taint
Noun
  • The only blot on an otherwise solid opening week for the World Cup expansion loyalists.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Let the cleaner sit for 15 minutes and blot the excess, or cover it with a damp cloth and leave it for up to 24 hours for heavily soiled or old, set-in spots.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 June 2026
Definition of blot
Noun
  • With wonder and with great shame the yodel is an orphaned sound, a sound that turns the serenade toward an addressee that is destined to never hear it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Altitude is going to be a leveller, just a shame there are no West Bromwich Albion players in the England squad.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of shame

Browse Nearby Words

on top of
onus
onuses
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Onus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onus. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on onus

Nglish: Translation of onus for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All