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shackled

shackled

7.0
Held by chains around the ankles so the person cannot move freely
  • adjective
  • /ˈʃækəld/
translation icon : encadenado
  • The prisoner lay on the ground, shackled and unable to move.

Others are shackled, trust up, or even tied on a rack.

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Examples

  • I was, I was shackled to an officer and I was cuffed in a van.

  • Thousands of Indonesians mentally ill, kept shackled, some in filthy cells, many for years on end.

  • Like, they really thought they, they had me shackled, like from my legs and my arms.

  • But we felt it was better to be free within that than shackled to some dying beast.

  • He was heavily shackled, but he he was going ape.

  • He would pass his plate out after he'd finished eating, but he was so traumatized from being shackled that he didn't really speak.

  • He was shackled with chains around his ankles to prevent him from escaping.

  • During the demonstration, they showed how people can be shackled to limit their freedom.

Synonyms

in chains
vsshackled
33 6.3

A person who has metal bands on the hands or feet so they cannot move

focuses on ankle chain fastening as a deliberate restraint
tethered to
vsshackled
8 4.4

Tied to something by a rope so you cannot move away, like a post or a dock

refers to ankle fastening with chains rather than general securing
bound
vsshackled
6 4.2

Tied or fastened to stop movement

focuses on chain ankle fastening rather than general binding methods
chained
vsshackled
4.1

Held tight by metal so it cannot move or escape

binds with chains specifically around the ankles as restraint
fettered
vsshackled
8.1

Held by chains or ties so someone cannot move and cannot act freely

specifies ankle fastening rather than general binding
enchained
vsshackled
  • Archaic
9.1

Held with chains or by rules that stop you from acting

is literal ankle chain fastening rather than metaphorical captivity
tethered
vsshackled
5.1

Held by a rope or chain so it cannot move far

involves chains fastened around ankles, not just attachment to objects
bound hand and foot
vsshackled
  • Informal
7.7

Not able to act freely because rules or people stop you

means ankle chain fastening specifically rather than total limb immobilization
pinioned
vsshackled
9.7

A person or animal held tightly with the arms tied behind the back

describes ankle chain fastening around ankles rather than arm restraint
tied
vsshackled
1.0

Fastened with string or rope

involves metal chains around the ankles rather than rope or string fastening

Antonyms

5 5.2

Not tied or held, able to move and act freely

1.0

Without being held or controlled and able to move

How Restrained

chained
4.1
shackled
7.0
bound
6 4.2
tied
1.0

Surface Forms

shackled positive

Morphology

shackled = shackle (transparent) = shackle + ed

The word 'shackled' is transparently formed from the noun 'shackle' with the addition of the past participle suffix '-ed', indicating the state of being bound by shackles.

Etymology

The word shackled comes from an old word for a heavy metal ring called a shackle, which was put on a person's ankle. So, to be shackled is to be 'bound' by chains and unable to move.