Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Confined to one's home, typically due to illness or infirmity: Describes a person who is unable to leave their house, usually because of a medical condition, disability, or poor health.

Usage

• The adjective housebound is used to describe a person's state of being restricted to their home. It emphasizes the cause (often illness or frailty) and the resulting lack of mobility.
• It typically precedes a noun (e.g., ) or follows a linking verb like , , or (e.g., ).

Examples

• After her hip surgery, my grandmother was housebound for several months.
• The community provides a meals-on-wheels service for housebound elderly residents.
• A severe bout of flu left him housebound for over a week.
• Many housebound individuals rely on family, friends, or home care services.

Advanced Usage

• "Effectively housebound": Used to describe someone whose ability to leave home is extremely limited, even if not absolute.
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome has left her effectively housebound.
• "Become housebound": Describes the process of transitioning into this state.
  • Without accessible transportation, people with disabilities risk becoming housebound.

Variants and Related Words

• Homebound (adj): Very similar in meaning to , often used interchangeably. Some contexts may use more frequently in official or educational settings (e.g., for students).
• Shut-in (n): A noun for a person who is confined to their home, especially due to chronic illness or old age.
  • Volunteers visit shut-ins every weekend.

Synonyms

• Confined to home
• Immobile (in this specific context)
• Bedridden (a more severe state, implying confinement to bed rather than just the house)

Antonyms

• Ambulatory
• Mobile
• Out and about

Related Phrases

• "Housebound due to...": A common phrase specifying the cause.
  • He is housebound due to his severe agoraphobia.
• "Care for the housebound": A phrase referring to support services.
  • The charity focuses on care for the housebound.

Adjective

1. confined usually by illness