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homebound

1 American  
[hohm-bound] / ˈhoʊmˈbaʊnd /

adjective

  1. going home.

    homebound commuters.
homebound 2 American  
[hohm-bound] / ˈhoʊmˌbaʊnd /

adjective

  1. confined to one's home, especially because of illness.

Etymology

Origin of homebound1

First recorded in 1880–85; home + bound 4

Origin of homebound2

First recorded in 1880–85; home + bound 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Around the pandemic, when Americans were homebound and scrolling for companionship, interest in unconventional pets picked up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

It got to the point where even sitting became uncomfortable for Victoria, and she was largely homebound until her baby was born.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

Diaz noted that St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in South L.A. boasts a robust program that helps with food, clothing and medicine delivery for homebound individuals.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2025

A revival of urban population growth would signal that in spite of the headwinds—the lure of a homebound, digital-first life in the ’burbs—cities still offer a product that Americans want.

From Slate • May 16, 2025

But she also felt reproved for her homebound boredom.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.