1 B2 idiomatic informal
To give someone an unwanted task, problem, or responsibility, often without their consent.
"She went on holiday and landed us with all the extra work."
inseparable
land with
B2 informal inseparable transitive
To give someone an unwanted, difficult, or burdensome responsibility, task, or problem, often without their choice.
In plain English
To make someone deal with something difficult or unpleasant that they didn't want.
What does "land with" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(Passive) To find oneself burdened with something undesirable.
"He was landed with a huge tax bill he had no idea was coming."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cause something to land on someone — as if dropping a burden onto them from above.
Actually means
To make someone deal with something difficult or unpleasant that they didn't want.
Usage tip
Almost always used in the passive ('be landed with something') or to describe an unwilling recipient. Carries a clear negative connotation — the object is always something undesirable. Common in everyday British and Australian English.
Words that pair with "land with"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bill problem debt responsibility job mess
How to conjugate "land with"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
land with
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lands with
he/she/it
Past simple
landed with
yesterday
Past participle
landed with
have + pp
-ing form
landing with
continuous
Hear "land with" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "land with" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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