What does "bridle" mean?
The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
Bridle
/ˈbɹaɪdəl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
- Grammar: bridle is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: check, curb, anchor, anger.
- Useful contrasts: free rein, freedom, liberty.
- Usage evidence: He kept his tongue under a bridle.
How to use "bridle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bridle" 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 "bridle" 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 "bridle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bridle" 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 "bridle" 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 "check" 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 "bridle", 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 The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
"[…] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use"
- 2 the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess wordnet
- 3 A restraint; a curb; a check. figuratively
"Let wisdom put a bridle on them before they are grown head-strong and unruly"
- 4 headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control wordnet
- 5 A length of line or cable attached to two parts of something to spread the force of a pull, as the rigging on a kite for attaching line.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A mooring hawser.
- 7 A piece in the interior of a gunlock which holds in place the tumbler, sear, etc.
- 8 A gesture expressing pride or vanity.
Verb
- 1 To put a bridle on. transitive
"He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist."
- 2 respond to the reins, as of horses wordnet
- 3 To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle; as in bridle your tongue. transitive
"Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation."
- 4 put a bridle on wordnet
- 5 To show hostility or resentment. intransitive
"Immigrant-rights and religious organizations bridled at the plan to favor highly skilled workers over relatives. (Houston Chronicle, 6/8/2007)"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 anger or take offense wordnet
- 7 To hold up one's head proudly or affectedly. intransitive
Example
"He kept his tongue under a bridle."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bridle"?
Common synonyms include: check, curb, anchor, anger, arrest, back band.
How do you use "bridle" in a sentence?
He kept his tongue under a bridle.
How do you pronounce "bridle"?
Pronounced /ˈbɹaɪdəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.