bedridden
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of bedridden
1300–50; Middle English, variant (by confusion with past participle of ride ) of bedrid
Explanation
Someone who's bedridden is so sick or elderly that they can't get out of bed. Your friend might have such a bad case of the flu that she's bedridden for several days and can't go to work or school. Most people who are bedridden are terribly ill and confined to their bed — or a hospital bed — until they recover. Very old people might also be bedridden because of weakness or pain. The word comes from the Old English bæddrædæn, "bedridden man," from the roots bedd, "bed," and rida, "rider."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Three of Boonma’s charges are bedridden like her mother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Janet Vigo, a nail-salon technician, prepared four boxes of adult diapers and a rechargeable fan for her 84-year-old bedridden grandmother, who recently broke her hip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
She recalls caring for a friend's bedridden mother, only to be barred from the funeral rites after her death.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
"He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow," he told Virgin Radio, adding that Dane had been losing his ability to speak.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
I have been bedridden for eight months and she only came to visit me once and ran away as quickly as she could.
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
