bound to, be

Idioms

Be certain or destined to; also, be determined or resolved to. For example, We are bound to hear from them soon, or No matter what they say, she is bound to run for mayor. This usage is derived from the older sense of bound as “obliged.” [Mid-1500s]
see bound to.

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.

With Handsome, if he didn’t simply say no right off, then there were bound to be many preparations required.

From Literature

Any major decision that fell outside of Brontë’s story and character arcs was bound to be picked apart by the vultures.

From Salon

“This is bound to be very traumatic for all of them.”

From Literature

Although the new personal allowance is yet to be revealed, it is bound to be higher than the modest £250 rise implemented last year - which took the figure to £14,750.

From BBC

Though staunch Brontë loyalists are bound to be up in arms about these larger-than-life details, Fennell’s rich stylistic elements are what differentiate this “Wuthering Heights” from the countless others that are far more faithful to the book, and thus, much more predictable and trite.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023