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Meaning & use

confined to bed

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/kənˈfaɪnd tə ˈbed/
US/kənˈfaɪnd tə ˈbɛd/

Meaning

  1. phraseafter a verb

    Having to stay in bed because of illness, injury or weakness and being unable to get up and move around normally.

    Grammar: Follows be or remain: he was confined to bed for a week.

    Patterns

    • be confined to bed
    • remain confined to bed

    She was confined to bed for ten days with a severe flu.

    After the operation, he remained confined to bed until the stitches healed.

    Her grandmother has been confined to bed since the fall in January.

Common combinations

be confined to bed
Patients may be confined to bed during the first day.
remain confined to bed
He remained confined to bed on his doctor's advice.
confined to bed rest
She was confined to bed rest for the last month of pregnancy.
confined to bed for weeks
The goalkeeper was confined to bed for weeks with a back injury.
left confined to bed
The illness left him confined to bed for most of the winter.

Synonyms and how they differ

bedridden
It usually describes someone who cannot leave bed for a long time, often permanently, and is stronger than confined to bed.
laid up
It is informal and suggests a temporary injury or illness, not necessarily staying in bed.
housebound
It means unable to leave the house, so a person can be housebound yet still walk around inside.
bedbound
It is a more clinical term often used in care settings for someone who cannot get up.

Opposites

up and aboutmobile

Word family

confine verb
to keep within limits
confinement noun
the state of being kept in a place
confined adjective
limited to a small space
bedridden adjective
unable to leave bed

Commonly confused: confined to bed or confident?

confined to bed vs confident

Confident means sure of yourself. Confined means kept within limits.

Practice

After the accident, my father was ____ for three weeks and could not even go downstairs.

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