Shouldering

Shouldering describes the act of taking on a responsibility, burden, or challenge, often implying a sense of obligation or accepting a duty. It can also refer to the physical act of placing something on one's shoulders, ready to carry or bear its weight. This can be figurative, like shouldering a heavy workload, or literal, like shouldering a backpack. The context dictates whether the emphasis is on the responsibility taken or the physical action. It often suggests a proactive decision, demonstrating willingness to act or carry a load.

Shouldering meaning with examples

• As the team's leader, he knew he would need to be shouldering more responsibility after the department head retired. He was prepared to shoulder the increased workload, hoping his team would learn to shoulder their share of the burden as well. The increased workload eventually led to a promotion, and an even greater responsibility to shoulder.
• After the unexpected price increase, Maria began shouldering the emotional burden of feeding her family. To save money, Maria was also shouldering the physical labor of gardening and cooking. She was not sure how much more she could shoulder without making a serious mistake.
• The new project was failing, and the project manager was shouldering the blame for the lack of progress. Even though his team were slacking, the manager, despite having a lot on his plate already, was shouldering all the problems. It was a lonely path and he was very tired.
• The community rallied together to support the families, with volunteers shouldering the task of rebuilding homes. Many other organizations came to offer additional support. It was good to see all the support the community was willing to shoulder.
• The experienced hiker began shouldering his backpack, preparing for the long trek ahead. The backpack was extremely heavy. The hiker eventually shouldered a few more things before setting out to go to work.