The Collaborative International Dictionary
Encumber \En*cum"ber\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Encumbered; p. pr. & vb. n. Encumbering.] [F. encombrer; pref. en- (L. in) + OF. combrer to hinder. See Cumber, and cf. Incumber.]
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To impede the motion or action of, as with a burden; to retard with something superfluous; to weigh down; to obstruct or embarrass; as, his movements were encumbered by his mantle; his mind is encumbered with useless learning.
Not encumbered with any notable inconvenience.
--Hooker. -
To load with debts, or other legal claims; as, to encumber an estate with mortgages.
Syn: To load; clog; oppress; overload; embarrass; perplex; hinder; retard; obstruct; check; block.
Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of encumber English)
Usage examples of "encumbering".
He whispered that I had to abandon myself to the power of the night and trust the little bit of personal power that I had, or I would never be able to move with freedom, and that the darkness was encumbering only because I relied on my sight for everything I did, not knowing that another way to move was to let power be the guide.
Now he was able to use his hands to rip away huge pieces of the encumbering substance.
Dunkin wore no encumbering equipment and figured that the drow would cling to him and likely drown them both.
They saw him, with quick, finicking movements of his fingers, brush from himself like cobwebs the scaffolding encumbering him.
Lyla tried to rub her forehead, through the encumbering hood of the yash, found she couldn't, and in a fit of rage tore the clumsy garment off.
Blink the chill of snow and awkward encumbering furs hated but essential, the skin side chewed supple by teeth now worn to stubs and one of them aching so much it nearly blinded the right eye, hands respectively clutching a tree-branch club and hanging limp from a tendon-slashing bite gone septic under a plaster of bruised leaves.