bedridden

adjective

bed·​rid·​den ˈbed-ˌri-dᵊn How to pronounce bedridden (audio)
variants or less commonly bedrid
: confined (as by illness) to bed

Examples of bedridden in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And being bedridden for less than two weeks can result in a 5% to 10% reduction in muscle mass in your quadriceps, according to a 2013 study published in The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 On earth, people with certain types of cancer, those who are bedridden for a long time and postmenopausal women can lose bone density. Dené K. Dryden, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2024 Only bedridden patient requiring ventilation will be transferred by ambulance. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2023 His father was bedridden after a stroke, and his mother had been caring for him, said Vadym, who lives nearby with his wife, Nataliya. Carlotta Gall Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2024 Though mostly bedridden, Wilson still managed to attend a few cabinet meetings. Thomas Doherty, The Conversation, 1 Feb. 2024 Barrows and her family appealed the denials, but Humana denied the appeals, declaring that Barrows was fit to return to her home despite being bedridden and using a catheter. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 13 Dec. 2023 Advertisement In 2008, as Barack Obama was elected president, Lawrence was bedridden with Crohn’s disease. Julie Seabaugh, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2024 Laura was bedridden for close to nine months after the incident, and recovered only after Dee Dee moved out of the residence, according to the documentary. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bedridden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English bedrede, bedreden, from Old English bedreda, from bedreda one confined to bed, from bedd bed + -rida, -reda, from rīdan to ride — more at bed entry 1, ride entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedridden was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bedridden

Cite this Entry

“Bedridden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedridden. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bedridden

adjective
bed·​rid·​den ˈbed-ˌrid-ᵊn How to pronounce bedridden (audio)
: forced to stay in bed especially by illness or weakness

Medical Definition

bedridden

adjective
bed·​rid·​den ˈbed-ˌrid-ᵊn How to pronounce bedridden (audio)
variants also bedrid
: confined to bed (as by illness)

More from Merriam-Webster on bedridden

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