earthbound

¹

Or earth-bound

[urth-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.

earthbound

²

Or earth-bound

[urth-bound]

adjective

1. headed for the earth.

   an earthbound meteorite.

earthbound

/ ˈɜːθˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. confined to the earth

2. lacking in imagination; pedestrian or dull

3. moving or heading towards the earth

Word History and Origins

Origin of earthbound¹

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

Origin of earthbound²

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

Example Sentences

Its opening poem, “Digging,” feels earthbound with its low-pitched vowels: “Between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.”

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The way they transformed into such airy, weightless beings while dancing, when offstage they were all earthbound muscle and sweaty concentration!

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Sparks is a master of the “earthbound” love story like “The Notebook,” while Shyamalan, the Oscar-nominated director of “The Sixth Sense,” is known for his fascination with the supernatural.

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Aliens may have embraced Elio, but earthbound audiences did not, marking the lowest opening weekend ever for a Pixar film and highlighting the challenges for original animated movies.

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The film’s earthbound sequences boast staggeringly beautiful shots of the ocean under a night sky.

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Related Words

• dreary 
• humdrum 
• lackluster 
• mundane