hide-bound

A farmer leads a hide-bound horse to the stable.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Narrow-minded and rigid in opinions: "hide-bound" describes someone who is unwilling to accept new ideas or change, often due to excessive adherence to tradition or established beliefs.
   • Emaciated and thin-skinned: In a literal sense, especially for animals, "hide-bound" means having the skin tightly stretched over the bones, resulting in a gaunt appearance.

Usage Examples

• Narrow-minded:

  • The committee was too hide-bound to consider modern teaching methods. (The committee was rigidly traditional and refused to innovate.)
  • His hide-bound attitude prevented him from appreciating contemporary art. (His closed-mindedness blocked his understanding of new styles.)

• Emaciated:

  • The neglected horse looked hide-bound, with its ribs clearly visible. (The horse was extremely thin, with skin tight over its bones.)

Advanced Usage

• "hide-bound by tradition": to be excessively constrained by customs or conventions.

  • The company was hide-bound by tradition, refusing to adopt digital tools. (The company was rigidly tied to old ways.)

• "hide-bound conservatism": extreme unwillingness to change, often in politics or social matters.

  • The party's hide-bound conservatism alienated younger voters. (The party's rigid adherence to old policies drove away new supporters.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hideboundness (noun): the quality of being narrow-minded or inflexible.

  • The hideboundness of the institution stifled creativity. (The rigidity prevented innovation.)

• Hide (noun): the skin of an animal, used in the literal sense of "hide-bound."

  • The hide of the cow was thick and tough. (The animal's skin.)

Synonyms

• Narrow-minded: unwilling to accept different ideas or views.
• Illiberal: not tolerant of new or differing opinions.
• Rigid: stiff and unyielding in thought or behavior.

Related Idioms

• Set in one's ways: fixed in habits or opinions, resistant to change.

  • He is too set in his ways to try a new restaurant. (He is rigidly attached to his routine.)

• Stuck in the past: unwilling to adapt to modern times.

  • Her fashion sense is stuck in the past, like a hide-bound relic. (She clings to outdated styles.)