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.
“Everyone knows their postman’s name — right?” a bedridden retiree nervously trills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
My mother is bedridden and has very limited use of her hands.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The house he shares with his 86-year-old wife, who is partially bedridden, was not damaged, but he has only been permitted to visit it to pick up medication.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Three of Boonma’s charges are bedridden like her mother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Ma had to pluck many a hay bit from me when the fever twisted me about back in my bedridden days.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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.
