hidebound

American  

[hahyd-bound] / ˈhaɪdˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. narrow and rigid in opinion; inflexible.

   a hidebound pedant.

2. oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative.

   a hidebound philosopher.

3. (of a horse, cow, etc.) having the back and ribs bound tightly by the hide.

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hidebound British  

/ ˈhaɪdˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. restricted by petty rules, a conservative attitude, etc

2. (of cattle, etc) having the skin closely attached to the flesh as a result of poor feeding

3. (of trees) having a very tight bark that impairs growth

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Other Word Forms

• hideboundness noun

Etymology

Origin of hidebound

First recorded in 1550–60; hide ² + -bound ¹

Explanation

Hidebound things — or people — are stuck in the past, unable to change. Your grandmother's hidebound ideas about fashion mean she never leaves the house without a hat and matching purse. Someone who's painfully old-fashioned, with chauvinistic, inflexible ideas and beliefs about the world can be described as hidebound. A hidebound culture can make a school, family, or workplace difficult and unpleasant for anyone who doesn't fit those narrow-minded standards. In the 16th century, the adjective originally described a condition of cattle, an unhealthy and emaciated state. Hidebound evolved from there, first describing painfully thin people, then those who are "narrow in outlook."

Example Sentences

Over time, cadets concentrating in social sciences formed an elite enclave, which became an object of resentment and ridicule among some more hidebound officers.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2026

And away from it, he has set out to reshape the hidebound culture of English cricket to suit the 2020s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

There was a time when Olympians weren’t allowed to receive any money, when the International Olympic Committee clung to a hidebound notion of amateurism.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2024

Egyptian-backed young officers in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, staged a coup in 1962 against a hidebound theocratic leader who had long kept the country in a state of isolation.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024

These hidebound trustees were determined to run the Research Corporation as conservatively as they ran their own businesses—that is, accumulating a large capital cushion before starting to give it away.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik