bridle

American  

[brahyd-l] / ˈbraɪd l /

noun

• bridles
  plural

1. part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting usually of a headstall, bit, and reins.

2. anything that restrains or curbs.

   His common sense is a bridle to his quick temper.

   Synonyms:

   check, governor

3. Machinery. a link, flange, or other attachment for limiting the movement of any part of a machine.

4. Nautical. a rope or chain secured at both ends to an object to be held, lifted, or towed, and itself held or lifted by a rope or chain secured at its center.

5. a raising up of the head, as in disdain.

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verb (used with object)

• bridles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bridled,
  past participle,  past
• bridling
  present participle

1. to put a bridle on.

2. to control or hold back; restrain; curb.

   Synonyms:

   limit, restrict, inhibit, constrain, govern, check

verb (used without object)

• bridles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bridled,
  past participle,  past
• bridling
  present participle

1. to draw up the head and draw in the chin, as in disdain or resentment.

   Synonyms:

   bristle

bridle British  

/ ˈbraɪdəl /

noun

1. a headgear for a horse, etc, consisting of a series of buckled straps and a metal mouthpiece (bit) by which the animal is controlled through the reins

2. something that curbs or restrains; check

3. a Y-shaped cable, rope, or chain, used for holding, towing, etc

4. machinery a device by which the motion of a component is limited, often in the form of a linkage or flange

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verb

1. (tr) to put a bridle on (a horse, mule, etc)

2. (intr) (of a horse) to respond correctly to the pull of the reins

3. (tr) to restrain; curb

   he bridled his rage

4. to show anger, scorn, or indignation

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bridler
  noun
• bridleless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bridles
  plural

Participles

• bridling
  present
• bridled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bridle
  simple
• bridles
  simple
• have bridled
  perfect
• has bridled
  perfect
• am bridling
  progressive
• are bridling
  progressive
• is bridling
  progressive
• have been bridling
  perfect progressive
• has been bridling
  perfect progressive

Past

• bridled
  simple
• had bridled
  perfect
• was bridling
  progressive
• were bridling
  progressive
• had been bridling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bridle
  simple
• will have bridled
  perfect
• will be bridling
  progressive
• will have been bridling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bridle

before 900; Middle English bridel, Old English brīdel for brigdels, equivalent to brigd- (variant stem of bregdan to braid ( def. ) ) + -els noun suffix; akin to Dutch breidel, Old High German brittel

Explanation

When you're riding a horse and scream "Whoa!" to make it stop, you're pulling on the reins, which are attached to a thing called the bridle, the buckled straps around a horse's head that help you control its movements. The word bridle comes from the Old English bridel meaning "rein, curb, restraint," which is precisely what the purpose of a bridle is — to help restrain a horse's movements when necessary. You can bridle a horse, which is the act of putting a bridle on it. If you yank too hard on the reins, your horse might bridle, or take offense to your aggressiveness, just like you might bridle if someone insulted you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bridle bridles bridled bridling

One of his greatest assets is at the half-mile pole you could tell from the tenor in his voice if he spotted a horse that was up in the bridle had a big chance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025

His eyes are full of tears as he holds the little riding crop in one hand and the bridle in the other.

From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2023

But nations including South Africa and Colombia bridle at what they see as an implicit choice.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2023

The first victory for Rummy, who is buried by the Aintree winning post, came 50 years ago and Minella Trump will have strands of the Aintree legend's mane woven into his bridle.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2023

Here was a pruney man in a turquoise smock, about twenty paces up the bridle path.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Not having known much about the Camino before booking her trip, she sometimes bridles when fellow travelers share their knowledge along the route.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

The handlers on the ground let go of the bridles and the cows suddenly shoot forward.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025

Think animal jewelry — bridles, straps and other harness parts adorned with eagle heads, rosettes, griffins, busts of Herakles, serpents and lions, often shaped from gold.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2025

American freedom is not absolute; no American is free from the Constitution’s bridles.

From Slate ● Aug. 9, 2024

Outside, past the open double doors, a hob waits, holding the silver bridles of five dappled faerie steeds, their manes braided in complicated and probably magical knots.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Blanche bridled at the suggestion, calling it “the most false statement I have ever heard in my life.”

From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026

Though he bridled against the genteel expectations of his upbringing, he was popular and effortlessly debonair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

And her son bridled at having to share personal information that Chavez needed in order to apply.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2023

Some analysts say Japan has gradually lost its competitive edge because it hasn’t done enough to nurture innovation and free up new sources of growth bridled by old-time bureaucracies.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 7, 2022

Satin had his horse saddled and bridled and waiting for him, a fiery grey courser with a mane as black and shiny as maester’s ink.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Agency for International Development, some African governments are bridling at the conditions he has set for resuming funding to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

In her autobiography, Mrs. Robertson recalled bridling at staying at home and her husband’s refusal to help around the house.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2022

European Union privacy and competition regulators have been far more aggressive than their U.S. counterparts in bridling the tech giants.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2021

And so I find myself bridling at the smears that people cast in our direction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2018

Yossarian demanded, rising up slowly on one elbow with bridling hostility.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller