housebound

Everyday

1. Not able to leave your home, usually because you are ill, very old, disabled or looking after someone. tree →
2. Stuck indoors for a while because of bad weather, an injury or rules such as a lockdown. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life the word comes up when talking about elderly grandparents, neighbours who need help with shopping, or people recovering from an operation. Charities and churches visit housebound people and bring meals or library books. In stories it shows a character who is lonely or cut off from the world. Phrases: housebound elderly, become housebound, housebound for weeks.

Examples

• My great-grandmother is housebound, so we visit her every Sunday. tree →
• The snowstorm left the whole village housebound for three days. tree →
• After breaking his leg, Tom was housebound and very bored. tree →
• Our class wrote cards for housebound people in the town. tree →
• The library delivers books to housebound readers. tree →
• Being housebound can make someone feel lonely, so a phone call helps. tree →
• Mum does the shopping for our housebound neighbour. tree →

Note

It is an adjective: «she is housebound», «housebound people». It does not mean «bound for the house» (going home); it means held at home. Compare «bedridden» (cannot get out of bed) — stronger than housebound. Be kind with the word: it describes a situation, not who the person is.