shoulder the burden

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

accept and carry a heavy responsibility, difficult obligation, or onerous task without complaint or evasion; take on the weight of a challenge that others might decline or delegate; the physical image of carrying a heavy load on one's shoulders emphasises both the real difficulty of the responsibility and the act of willingness — shouldering a burden is a choice to bear weight that need not have been accepted; in leadership contexts it describes the willingness to carry difficult responsibilities that protect others from having to do so