Two meanings of -bound
Meaning 1, CONFINED BY: snowbound, housebound (unable to leave home), deskbound (stuck at a desk all day). Meaning 2, HEADED TOWARD: inbound, outbound, homebound (heading home), northbound/southbound.
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Suffix · forms adjectives
-bound
From the past participle of "bind": forms adjectives meaning "confined by," "heading toward," or "obligated by." Spellbound, earthbound, homebound, hidebound, snowbound, inbound.
In Spanish: atrapado en / con destino a / obligado porIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Two worth knowing on their own
"spellbound" = as if under a spell, unable to look away ("the audience was spellbound"). "hidebound" = too attached to tradition, resistant to change ("a hidebound institution"). Neither one is about being "confined" or "headed toward", they are their own thing.
How it is formed
Noun/adjective + bound. Context clarifies which of the two meanings applies.
- confined bysnow → snowboundhouse → housebounddesk → deskboundfog → fogbound
- headed towardin → inboundout → outboundhome → homeboundnorth → northboundsouth → southbound
- stand-alone casesspell → spellbound (captivated)hide → hidebound (too traditional)
"homebound" can mean "heading home" or "confined at home": context resolves which.
How it is pronounced
-bound/baʊnd/ · rhymes with found
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -bound
In a phrase
- spellspellboundThe kids sat spellbound, watching the magician's tricks.
- earthearthboundUnlike birds, most animals are earthbound and can't fly.
- homehomeboundAfter the surgery, she was homebound for almost a month.
- hide (skin)hideboundThe old manager was too hidebound to try any new ideas.
- snowsnowboundWe were snowbound for two days after the big storm.
- househouseboundMy grandma has been housebound since she hurt her hip.
- ininboundAll inbound flights were delayed because of the storm.
- outoutboundThe outbound train leaves from platform 4.
- deskdeskboundAfter years of a deskbound job, he decided to start exercising more.
- fogfogboundThe ferry stayed fogbound in the harbor until the fog cleared.
Common mistakes
homebound = only "confined at home"
homebound = also "heading home" (context decides)
"homebound travellers" = travelers heading home. "she has been homebound since the accident" = confined at home. Both are standard.
hidebound is an old word nobody uses anymore
hidebound is still used today for rigid conservatism
"a hidebound institution", "hidebound attitudes" show up regularly in news and analysis.
A trick to remember it
Ask yourself: is the word before "bound" a DESTINATION or a CHAIN? If it is a place you are heading to (home-bound, in-bound) = you are moving toward it. If it is something trapping you (snow-bound, house-bound) = you are stuck there, unable to move.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"Hidebound" describes someone who is...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"Homebound" can mean...
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -bound mean in English?
The suffix -bound from the past participle of "bind": forms adjectives meaning "confined by," "heading toward," or "obligated by." Spellbound, earthbound, homebound, hidebound, snowbound, inbound. In Spanish it usually maps to atrapado en / con destino a / obligado por.
How do you pronounce -bound?
The ending -bound is pronounced /baʊnd/ · rhymes with found. For example, "spellbound".
Can you give an example of a word with -bound?
"spell" becomes "spellbound". It is a typical example of the -bound suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-born
Forms adjectives about birth: firstborn, newborn, foreign-born (born in another country). Also common in fantasy/historical novels for social class: highborn (noble birth), lowborn (humble birth).
-like
Forms adjectives meaning "similar to X": dreamlike, lifelike, childlike (having a child's qualities, in a positive sense). It is fairly productive, you can attach it to almost any noun.
-ward / -wards
Turns a direction word into a direction adverb/adjective: inward, outward, forward. Works with almost any direction word, it is productive.
Learn every English suffix
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.