Tuesday word: Beholden

[simplyn2deep]

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Beholden (adjective)
be·hold·en [bih-hohl-duhn]

adjective
1. obligated; indebted: a man beholden to no one.

Other Word Forms
un be·hold en adjective

Related Words
grateful, obligated, obliged

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
obliged, bound, grateful, liable.

Origin: 1300–50; Middle English, adj. use of beholden, old past participle of behold

Example Sentences
He warns that this may put them "in a position where they're beholden to China".
From BBC

That may seem baffling, but at Monday’s press preview, Miller spoke about how figures praised as Black dandy icons are “still beholden to the whims of the institution.”
From Salon

She’s no longer the woman thrown to the floor and beholden to her abuse, as we see in flashbacks.
From Salon

Lyle: I think an important question is, how much are you beholden to your family?
From Los Angeles Times

They seem not to want to be beholden to any actual constituency and are hoping to raise money from large dollar donors.
From Salon