lastre

ballast

noun LAHS-treh Rare

Also means

burden

Usage Note

Lastre originally meant the heavy material (sand, stone, water) placed in a ship's hold to keep it stable, and that nautical origin drives its figurative use: anything that slows progress or weighs a person or organization down. The verb lastrar means to ballast or to hold back, and sin lastre ('without ballast') is a common metaphor for being unencumbered.

Examples

"La deuda histórica es un lastre para la empresa."

Natural Translation

The historical debt is a burden for the company.

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