Standard Lemma guide

beholden

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /bɪˈhəʊldən/
  • Canada, General-American: /bɪˈhoʊldən/
  • Australian: /bɪˈhəʉldən/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊldən
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 HH OW1 L D AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Obligated to provide, display, or do something for another; indebted, obliged for a bounden duty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, usually

Examples

  • From an early age, I had decided I wanted to be beholden to no one.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English biholden (“beholden, obligated”), past participle of biholden (“to behold, look at”, modern behold), though that verb does not mean "to bind, obligate".

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: задължен (zadǎlžen) — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Bulgarian: признателен (priznatelen) — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Dutch: verplicht — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Dutch: schatplichtig — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • French: redevable — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • German: verpflichtet — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • German: gebunden — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Hindi: बाध्य (bādhya) — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Middle English: biholden — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Russian: обя́занный (objázannyj) — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Russian: призна́тельный (priznátelʹnyj) — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Spanish: comprometido — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Spanish: obligado — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Spanish: endeudado — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Spanish: encalillado — obligated, bound by moral obligation
  • Spanish: adeudante — obligated, bound by moral obligation