land with
C1Informal (primarily spoken and colloquial written English)
Definition
Meaning
To impose an unwelcome or difficult task, responsibility, or object on someone.
To burden someone unexpectedly with an obligation, problem, or unwanted thing. Often implies a lack of consultation or fairness.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The phrasal verb is almost always transitive and requires an object (the person being burdened). It carries a negative connotation of imposition. It is not used literally to mean 'arrive with land'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical connotations of unfair imposition.
Frequency
More common in British English, but perfectly understood and used in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] land [Object: Person] with [Object: Task/Thing]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “get landed with”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The boss landed me with the quarterly report at 5 PM on Friday."
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing, but appears in informal discourse about workload.
Everyday
"My flatmate moved out and landed me with the full rent."
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They've landed us with organising the office party again.
- I don't want to be landed with the cleaning.
American English
- My brother landed me with his old truck when he moved.
- Don't let them land you with all the paperwork.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I can't believe she landed me with looking after her dog for a month.
- He always gets landed with the difficult clients.
- The new legislation effectively lands local councils with the financial burden without providing adequate funding.
- After the merger, the IT department was landed with integrating two incompatible systems.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone literally dropping (landing) a heavy box labelled 'PROBLEM' into your arms unexpectedly.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESPONSIBILITY IS A BURDEN / AN UNWELCOME OBJECT
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'приземлиться с'. The correct conceptual equivalent is 'всучить', 'свалить на', 'навязать'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it without an object (e.g., 'He landed with the work' is wrong; must be 'He landed ME with the work').
- Confusing it with 'end up with' which is more about result than imposition.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'land someone with' something?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily informal and used in spoken or colloquial contexts.
Extremely rarely. Its core meaning is negative, relating to an unfair or unwelcome imposition.
The common passive form is 'get landed with' (e.g., 'I always get landed with the worst jobs'). The more formal 'be landed with' is also correct.
They are very close synonyms. 'Saddle with' might be slightly more common in American English and can sound slightly more metaphorical, but they are often interchangeable.