oppressive

onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting mean imposing hardship. onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful <the onerous task of cleaning up the mess>. burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain <burdensome responsibilities>. oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed <the oppressive tyranny of a police state>. exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding <an exacting employer>.