2bound adjective
1 not used before a noun : very likely or certain to do or to be something
▪ It's bound to rain soon. ▪ It's bound to be a great party. ▪ I knew they would get married. It was bound to happen. ▪ Everyone is bound to make mistakes sometimes. ▪ Such a foolish plan is bound to fail. 2 : unlikely or unable to change, develop, move, etc., because of being held or controlled by something
▪ an organization that is bound by tradition — often used in combination ▪ a tradition-bound organization ▪ a culture-bound philosophy — see also deskbound, fogbound, housebound, icebound, muscle-bound, snowbound 3 : tied together with something (such as a string or rope)
▪ a neatly/tightly/loosely bound stack of papers — see also 1bind 1, 2 4 not used before a noun : closely joined or connected to other people
▪ She and I are bound (together) by our shared past. [=we are connected to each other because we have the same past] ▪ family members bound by either blood or marriage — see also 1bind 7 5 not used before a noun : required by law or duty to do something
▪ The state is legally bound [=obligated] to provide each child with an education. ▪ He was duty bound [=it was his duty] to help. ▪ I felt honor bound to defend them. [=I felt that I had to defend them because it was morally right] ▪ (chiefly Brit) The experiment, I am bound to say [=I must say/admit], seems to have succeeded. — see also 1bind 5 6 : held together or covered with a particular type of material — often + in ▪ books bound in leather/velvet — often used in combination ▪ leather-bound books [=books with leather covers] ▪ a spiral-bound notebook [=a notebook that has its pages held together with a curving wire] — see also 1bind 11
▪ It's bound to rain soon. ▪ It's bound to be a great party. ▪ I knew they would get married. It was bound to happen. ▪ Everyone is bound to make mistakes sometimes. ▪ Such a foolish plan is bound to fail.
▪ an organization that is bound by tradition — often used in combination ▪ a tradition-bound organization ▪ a culture-bound philosophy — see also deskbound, fogbound, housebound, icebound, muscle-bound, snowbound
▪ a neatly/tightly/loosely bound stack of papers — see also 1bind 1, 2
▪ She and I are bound (together) by our shared past. [=we are connected to each other because we have the same past] ▪ family members bound by either blood or marriage — see also 1bind 7
▪ The state is legally bound [=obligated] to provide each child with an education. ▪ He was duty bound [=it was his duty] to help. ▪ I felt honor bound to defend them. [=I felt that I had to defend them because it was morally right] ▪ (chiefly Brit) The experiment, I am bound to say [=I must say/admit], seems to have succeeded. — see also 1bind 5
bound and determined
: very determined
▪ We were bound and determined to finish the project on time.
▪ We were bound and determined to finish the project on time.
bound up
: closely involved or associated : greatly affected
▪ The fates of such projects are always bound up in politics. — usually + with ▪ Their lives are closely bound up with their religion. ▪ These societal changes are inextricably bound up with the development of new technologies.
▪ The fates of such projects are always bound up in politics. — usually + with ▪ Their lives are closely bound up with their religion. ▪ These societal changes are inextricably bound up with the development of new technologies.
I'll be bound
Brit, old-fashioned — used to stress that you are sure of something you have said ▪ It'll be dark soon, I'll be bound.
— compare 3bound
