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bound

bound

69 4.2
Certain to happen or be true
  • adjective
  • /baʊnd/
translation icon : destinado
  • Trust me, the right opportunity is bound to come our way sooner or later.

And you know, because it's like someone's bound to click on that.

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Examples

  • Now, of course, with seven children under one roof, there's bound to be some chaos.

  • If we keep practicing, we are bound to improve our skills.

  • Yeah, maybe it's bound to happen again.

  • It's bound to be out there somewhere.

  • Therefore, attacking any big problem is bound to be really hard.

  • A fine young man like him is bound to have a settling influence on her.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Janice says, "This hot weather is bound to turn cool this time of year."

    Fiction book (1990)
  • There's bound to be traffic, 'cause it's Labor Day weekend.

  • She's bound to be curious.

  • You've had a terrible shock, and it's bound to catch up with you.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

meant to be
vsbound
246 3.7

Planned or seen as certain to happen

is more formal and stresses certainty as fate rather than casual expectation
fated
vsbound
27 5.3

Certain to happen and not able to be changed

is a general certainty without strong fatal tone
destined
vsbound
6 4.1

Sure to happen or meant to be sent to a certain place

is more about general certainty tied to fate than plan
predestined
vsbound
7.7

Fate or a higher power decides a person's life in advance

is similar but less tied to divine or absolute fixing

Antonyms

487 1.9

People do not expect it to happen or be true

Idioms

7.7

Not able to act freely because rules or people stop you

Compounds

53 3.7

Going to a particular place, usually by travel

lower bound
  • Specialized
3 7.0

A value that is no larger than any number in a set

upper bound
  • Specialized
3 7.2

A number that is as big as or bigger than every number in a set

Going toward home

Going away from a place, like a ship or train starting its journey

bound form
  • Specialized
9.6

A small part added to a word that cannot stand alone, like -s in cats and -ed in walked

bound morpheme
  • Specialized
8.6

A word part that cannot stand alone, like re- or -s

How Certain

inevitable
467 4.6
bound
69 4.2
likely
1.0
possible
1.0
unlikely
487 1.9

Surface Forms

bound positive

Etymology

A helpful way to remember bound meaning 'certain' is to think of being 'tied' to a result; if something is bound 'to' happen it is fixed or sure to happen.