Laden means heavily loaded or weighed down with something. When a donkey is laden with supplies for a mountain journey, its back is piled high with bags and bundles. When apple trees are laden with fruit in the fall, their branches bend low under the weight of so many apples.

The word often suggests being loaded almost to the point of too much. A table laden with food at Thanksgiving is overflowing with turkey, stuffing, pies, and more, with dishes covering every available space. When someone walks into class laden with textbooks, their arms are so full they can barely see over the stack.

You can be laden with physical things or with feelings and responsibilities. A student might feel laden with worry before a big performance, or laden with relief after it goes well. The word carries a sense of heaviness, whether that's the actual weight of cargo or the emotional weight of concerns.