earthbound

¹ American  

[urth-bound] / ˈɜrθˌbaʊnd /

Or earth-bound

adjective

1. firmly set in or attached to the earth.

2. limited to the earth or its surface.

3. having only earthly interests.

4. lacking in imagination or sophistication.

   earthbound prose.

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earthbound ² American  

[urth-bound] / ˈɜrθˌbaʊnd /

Or earth-bound

adjective

1. headed for the earth.

   an earthbound meteorite.

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earthbound British  

/ ˈɜːθˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. confined to the earth

2. lacking in imagination; pedestrian or dull

3. moving or heading towards the earth

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Etymology

Origin of earthbound¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; earth + -bound ¹

Origin of earthbound²

First recorded in 1930–35; earth + -bound ²

Example Sentences

For now, the company’s data center ambitions are earthbound, and operating them is very resource-intensive.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The four astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission have been settling back into earthbound activities following a historic spaceflight that captured attention worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Evolution had usually been thought of in reference to earthbound processes.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

With a normal earthbound telescope, one can only see the Serpens constellation in the northern part of the celestial hemisphere.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2024

The Specters seemed to be earthbound, without the power of flight, luckily for the witches.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• dreary
• humdrum
• lackluster
• mundane