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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 porLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated August 2026

Two meanings of -bound

-bound forms adjectives with two distinct senses, both from the past participle of "to bind" (to tie, to obligate): Sense 1: CONFINED BY / TRAPPED IN: snowbound (trapped by snow), fogbound (trapped by fog), housebound (unable to leave the house), deskbound (confined to a desk), earthbound (unable to leave earth). Sense 2: HEADED TOWARD: inbound (heading toward a destination), outbound (heading away), homebound (heading home), northbound (heading north), southbound (heading south).

Spellbound: the most literary -bound

"spellbound" = held as if by a spell, unable to move or look away. One of the most evocative words in English. "The audience was spellbound." "She sat spellbound as the story unfolded." Other literary -bound words: "earthbound" = unable to leave the earth (literal) / lacking spiritual aspiration (metaphorical: "earthbound concerns"). "muscle-bound" = so muscular that movement is restricted.

Hidebound: from livestock to conservatism

"hidebound" originally described cattle whose hide (skin) was bound tightly to their ribs due to starvation. The metaphorical sense: overly restricted by tradition or convention, unable to change. "a hidebound institution" = one that refuses to change, trapped in old ways. "hidebound thinking" = thought constrained by tradition. This journey from starving livestock to intellectual conservatism is a classic example of metaphorical extension in English.

How it is formed

Noun / adjective / adverb + bound. Produces adjectives of confinement or direction.

  • confined by
    snow = snowboundfog = fogboundhouse = housebounddesk = deskboundmuscle = muscle-boundspell = spellbound
  • headed toward
    in = inboundout = outboundhome = homeboundnorth = northboundsouth = southboundearth = earthbound
  • literary/figurative
    hide (skin) = hideboundspell = spellboundearth = earthboundiron = ironbound

The two senses (confined vs. headed toward) are usually clear from context. "homebound" can mean either "heading home" or "confined to the home" — context resolves the ambiguity.

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 = confined to the home
homebound = ALSO "heading home" — context determines the meaning

"homebound" has two legitimate senses: 1) heading home ("homebound travellers"); 2) confined to the home due to illness or age ("she has been homebound since the accident"). Both are standard. Check context.

hidebound = old-fashioned word nobody uses
hidebound is current in formal English for rigid conservatism

"hidebound" appears regularly in journalism, political commentary, and literary criticism: "a hidebound institution," "hidebound attitudes." It is C1-C2 and marks a sophisticated writer.

A trick to remember it

-bound = trapped/confined by X OR heading toward X. Spellbound (captivated), earthbound (unable to rise), hidebound (too conservative to change). Inbound/outbound for direction.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Held as if by a spell, unable to look away: spell___

Hint: spell + bound = ?

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

    From Old English "boren" (born): forms adjectives of birth condition, origin or destiny. Firstborn, highborn, stillborn, freeborn, newborn.

  • -like

    From Old Norse "líkr" (similar): forms adjectives meaning "resembling X" or "characteristic of X." Godlike, dreamlike, lifelike, warlike, childlike, ghostlike, wavelike, businesslike.

  • -ward / -wards

    From Old English "-weard" (direction): forms adverbs and adjectives of direction or tendency. Inward, outward, forward, wayward, awkward.

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

View all suffixes
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