Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Ill and usually confined: In a state of being sick or injured, typically requiring one to stay in bed or at home, and unable to engage in normal activities.

Usage

The adjective "laid up" describes a person who is incapacitated due to illness or injury. It emphasizes being forced to rest and being confined to a bed, home, or hospital. It is commonly used in informal contexts.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • He's been laid up with the flu for a week.
  • After the surgery, she was laid up for a month.
  • I can't go to the party; I'm laid up with a bad back.

Advanced Usage

• "to be laid up": This is the standard phrasal verb construction from which the adjective is derived. It is used to describe the state of being incapacitated.
  • Our star player is laid up with a knee injury.
• The phrase often implies a temporary but significant period of inactivity.

Variants and Related Words

• Lay up (phrasal verb): The verb form meaning to store or save for future use, or to cause someone to be confined due to illness/injury.
  • We need to lay up supplies for the winter. (store)
  • That fall laid him up for weeks. (caused confinement)

Synonyms

• Confined: Restricted to a place due to illness.
• Bedridden: Confined to bed.
• Incapacitated: Deprived of strength or ability.
• Out of action: Not able to function or participate.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Laid up (as a phrasal verb): To be forced to stay in bed or be inactive due to illness or injury. (This is the verbal source of the adjective).
  • He was laid up by a severe infection.

Related Idioms

• Under the weather: Feeling ill. (Less severe than "laid up").
• On the sick list: Officially recorded as being ill and unable to work.

Adjective

1. ill and usually confined
   • laid up with a bad cold