tied

tied — adjective

1. Describes a home that comes with a job — the person living there works for the l

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

Describes a home that comes with a job — the person living there works for the landlord, and when the job ends the home must be given up.

Example

The cottage was a tied house, so the farmer's family left after he retired.

attributive use: tied + house; condition of leaving when job ends

Many tied cottages in rural England still belong to the estates where people work.

Common collocations
  • tied cottage
  • tied house
  • tied accommodation
  • tied flat
  • tied pub
Synonyms
  • conditional

    general term for anything dependent on a condition; less specific to housing

  • bonded

    formal; bonded labour or bonded housing implies stronger compulsion

Antonyms
  • freehold

    describes property owned outright, not tied to employment

  • independent

    not dependent on a job or landlord

Grammar Patterns

tied + noun (tied cottage, tied house, tied flat)

Usage Note

This sense is historically tied to British agricultural and estate housing. In modern contexts it also appears in pub management (a tied pub) and some service-industry roles. Non-native speakers rarely need this sense actively but should recognise it in reading.

Common Mistakes

I live in a tied house that I can rent forever.
I live in a tied house that I must leave if my job ends.
A tied house is never a permanent rental; it is conditional on employment.

2. Held or shut in place with string, cord, rope, ribbon, or laces so that the obje

2.adjectiveA2
Definition

Held or shut in place with string, cord, rope, ribbon, or laces so that the object cannot move or come open easily.

Example

Heloísa wore a pretty dress with a tied ribbon around her waist.

tied + ribbon; attributive use describing an item of clothing

The parcel arrived with a tied string that was too tight to undo easily.

Common collocations
  • tightly tied
  • loosely tied
  • securely tied
  • tied together
  • tied with a ribbon
  • tied with a rope
  • tied with string
  • neatly tied
Synonyms
  • fastened

    more general; can include buttons, zippers, or hooks

  • bound

    more formal; often implies wrapping or encircling with material

  • secured

    emphasises safety and firmness of the closure

  • laced

    specific to shoes, corsets, or items with laces

Antonyms
  • loose

    not firmly fastened; can move freely

  • untied

    specifically of something that was previously tied

  • unfastened

    general opposite of fastened

Grammar Patterns

tied + with + noun

tied + together

tightly/loosely + tied

be + tied

Usage Note

Often used with adverbs (tightly, loosely, securely) that describe how firm the fastening is. When the fastening method is important, use tied with + material (tied with a leather cord).

Common Mistakes

The package was tied strongly.
The package was tied tightly.
'Strongly' describes strength of a person, not firmness of a knot; use 'tightly' or 'securely'.

3. Closely connected to someone or something through strong feelings of love, frien

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

Closely connected to someone or something through strong feelings of love, friendship, loyalty, or shared memories.

Example

Zayd felt deeply tied to his hometown, even after living abroad for ten years.

deeply + tied + to; emotional connection to a place

The two cousins stayed tied by their shared childhood in their grandmother's house.

tied + by + shared experience; passive-like structure

Common collocations
  • deeply tied
  • closely tied
  • strongly tied
  • tied to one's family
  • tied to one's roots
  • tied to a place
  • tied by tradition
  • tied through shared experience
Synonyms
  • attached

    more general; emotional or practical (attached to a routine)

  • bonded

    emphasises mutual closeness; often used for groups or families

  • connected

    broadest; can be emotional, professional, or logical

  • devoted

    stronger emotional commitment; implies loyalty and care

Antonyms
  • detached

    not emotionally involved; deliberately separate

  • estranged

    formerly close but now distant; stronger than detached

  • disconnected

    having no bond at all

Grammar Patterns

tied + to + noun/pronoun

closely/deeply/strongly + tied + to + noun

feel + tied + to + noun

Usage Note

Use tied to for emotional bonds (people, places, traditions). The cause of the bond is often introduced by by or through (tied by history, tied through shared work). Distinguish from sense 2 (physical) — if you can touch the thing that connects, sense 2 applies; if it is a feeling, sense 3 applies.

Common Mistakes

She is tied with her sister very much.
She is very close to her sister.' or 'She feels deeply tied to her sister.
'Tied with' is not used for emotional bonds; use 'tied to'. And 'very much' does not fit this pattern.

4. Describes a game, match, or competition in which both sides have the same number

4.adjectiveB1
Definition

Describes a game, match, or competition in which both sides have the same number of points, goals, or votes.

Example

With only five minutes left, the score was tied at two goals each.

tied + at + score; common sports-result pattern

The championship match ended tied, so both teams shared the trophy for the first time.

Common collocations
  • tied at
  • tied with
  • tied for first place
  • tied score
  • tied game
  • tied match
  • still tied
  • remained tied
Synonyms
  • level

    common in British English; also used for non-sporting contests

  • drawn

    British English; a drawn match means no winner

  • even

    informal; 'the scores are even' is a fixed expression

  • neck and neck

    idiomatic; used when competitors are very close, not necessarily equal

Antonyms
  • uneven

    scores are different; one side is ahead

  • decided

    a match with a clear winner

Grammar Patterns

be + tied + at + number

be + tied + with + team/person

be + tied + for + position

Usage Note

In British English the noun form is often a draw (especially in football); in American English a tie is common for all sports. The adjective tied can describe the match itself (a tied game) or the participants (two tied teams).

Common Mistakes

The game was tie at halftime.
The game was tied at halftime.
'Tie' is a noun or verb; the adjective form for equal scores is 'tied'.

Word family

  • tie
    verbA2
  • tie
    nounB1
  • untie
    verbB1
  • untied
    adjectiveB1
  • retie
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four words describe something being held in place, but they differ in method and register. Fastened is the most general term; it covers buttons, zippers, straps, hooks, and any other closure. Bound is more formal and literary; it often suggests wrapping or encircling — for example, a book bound in leather, or a prisoner bound with chains. Secured emphasises safety and permanence, so it is common for travel gear (a secured suitcase) or safety equipment (secured harness). Laced is the narrowest of the four and refers specifically to items closed with laces, most commonly shoes and boots. Compare: 'Heloísa fastened her coat with the big buttons' (any closure works). 'The books were bound in red leather' (wrapped/covered). 'Christopher secured his backpack before the flight' (safety-focus). 'The hikers laced their boots tightly before the climb' (laces only).

fastenedbound ↗securedlaced

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • tied up
  • tied down
  • tied in

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Tied is the past participle of the verb tie, which comes from Old English tīgan or tēagan, meaning 'to bind or fasten'. This word traces back through Proto-Germanic *teuhan ('to pull, draw') to the same ancient root that gave us the word tug. The sense of 'having an equal score' appeared in the 1700s, originally referring to a drawn game where neither side won. The specific British sense of 'tied housing' (a home that comes with a job) emerged in the 1800s as industrial and agricultural estates provided accommodation for their workers.