What does "bind" mean?
That which binds or ties.
Bind
/baɪnd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: That which binds or ties.
- Grammar: bind is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: tighten, accept obligation, adhere, adjoin.
- Useful contrasts: disobliged, exempt, riven.
- Usage evidence: I'm forever lost, can't you see? I'm in a bind!
How to use "bind"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bind" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bind" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bind" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bind" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bind" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tighten" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bind", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 That which binds or ties. countable
- 2 something that hinders as if with bonds wordnet
- 3 A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary. countable
- 4 Any twining or climbing plant or stem, especially a hop vine; a bine. countable, uncountable
- 5 A ligature or tie for grouping notes. countable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A strong grip or stranglehold on a position, which is difficult for the opponent to break. countable
"the Maróczy Bind"
- 7 The indurated clay of coal mines, or other overlying substances such as sandstone or shale. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To tie; to confine by any ligature. intransitive
"They that reap must sheaf and bind."
- 2 cause to be constipated wordnet
- 3 To cohere or stick together in a mass. intransitive
"We’ll throw it in just to make the cheese more binding."
- 4 form a chemical bond with wordnet
- 5 To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction. intransitive
"I wish I knew why the sewing machine binds up after I use it for a while."
Show 25 more definitions
- 6 bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted wordnet
- 7 To exert a binding or restraining influence. intransitive
"These are the ties that bind."
- 8 fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord wordnet
- 9 To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc. transitive
"To bind grain in bundles."
- 10 secure with or as if with ropes wordnet
- 11 To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind. transitive
"Gravity binds the planets to the sun."
- 12 make fast; tie or secure, with or as if with a rope wordnet
- 13 To couple. transitive
- 14 wrap around with something so as to cover or enclose wordnet
- 15 To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie. figuratively
"to bind the conscience."
- 16 provide with a binding wordnet
- 17 To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant.
- 18 stick to firmly wordnet
- 19 To place under legal obligation to serve.
"To bind an apprenticeship."
- 20 create social or emotional ties wordnet
- 21 To protect or strengthen by applying a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment. transitive
- 22 To make fast (a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something. archaic, transitive
"To bind a belt about one."
- 23 To cover, as with a bandage. transitive
"To bind up a wound."
- 24 To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action, as by producing constipation. archaic, transitive
"Certain drugs bind the bowels."
- 25 To put together in a cover, as of books. transitive
"The three novels were bound together."
- 26 To make two or more elements stick together. transitive
- 27 To associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name, method name, etc. with the content of a storage location. transitive
"We bind the variable n to the value 2, and xs to "abcd"."
- 28 To process one or more object modules into an executable program. transitive
- 29 To complain; to whine about something. UK, dialectal
""But it's not much good piling up the pix if I can't sell them." "Oh do stop binding. Think of something. How will we eat, where will we sleep?""
- 30 To wear a binder so as to flatten one's chest to give the appearance of a flat chest, usually done by trans men. intransitive
"I haven't binded since I got my top surgery."
Antonyms
Example
"I'm forever lost, can't you see? I'm in a bind!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bind"?
Common synonyms include: tighten, accept obligation, adhere, adjoin, adjures, affixed.
How do you use "bind" in a sentence?
I'm forever lost, can't you see? I'm in a bind!
How do you pronounce "bind"?
Pronounced /baɪnd/.
Etymology
From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéndʰ-e-ti, from *bʰendʰ- (“to tie”). See also West Frisian bine, Dutch binden, Low German binnen, binden, German binden, Danish binde; also Welsh ben (“cart”), Latin offendīx (“knot, band”), Lithuanian beñdras (“partner”), Albanian bind (“to convince, to awe, to spell”), Ancient Greek πεῖσμα (peîsma, “cable, rope”), Persian بستن (bastan, “to bind”), Sanskrit बन्धति (bándhati). Doublet of bandana.