duty bound

Related to duty bound: do duty

duty bound

Obligated or expected to do something. Now that our parents are dead, I'm duty bound to care for my siblings. As a parent, you are duty bound to protect your child.
See also: bound, duty
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

duty bound

(to do something) forced by a sense of duty and honor to do something. Good evening, madam. I'm duty bound to inform you that we have arrested your husband. No one made me say that. I was duty bound.
See also: bound, duty
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

duty bound

Obliged, as in You're duty bound to help your little brother. [c. 1900]
See also: bound, duty
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

duty bound

morally or legally obliged to do something.
See also: bound, duty
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

duty bound

Obliged: You are duty bound to help your little sister and brother.
See also: bound, duty
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

duty bound, to be

To be firmly obligated. This term is derived from bounden duty, which dates from the 1500s and was actually redundant, since from the 1400s bound also meant “under obligations.” The term also retains this form three centuries later: “It was his bounden duty to accept the office” (Harriet Martineau, The Manchester Strike, 1833). At some point this locution was grammatically changed to the present participial usage, as in “I’m duty bound to report this violation to the dean.”
See also: duty
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • duty bound, to be
  • be duty bound
  • be/feel duty/honour bound to do something
  • duty bound to (someone or something)
  • duty
  • honour
  • bound
  • honor
  • feel
  • all oak and iron bound
References in periodicals archive
New Delhi [India], May 11 ( ANI ): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and party in-Charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav on Friday said that as long as there are terrorist activities in the valley, the security forces are duty bound to tackle it with utmost toughness.
If terrorism stops, operations will automatically cease: Ram Madhav
"They're duty bound by their own policy to maximise the commercial return on their own intellectual property rights - which covers merchandise.
Bake Off's legal bid to beat one year ban; BBC may be 'duty bound' to back series on C4; EXCLUSIVE
Most of them come by trains with plans to return the same day and I am duty bound to meet them."
After backing Pranab Mukherjee, JD(U) skips swearing- in ceremony
She probably wanted to say something completely different but is duty bound to keep her private thoughts to herself.
Where is the justice? You Say Email:letters@liverpoolecho.co.uk
He has no power of arrest and if he physically prevents you from leaving he is guilty of assault and the police would be duty bound to come to your assistance.
Guards have no authority; Letters extra... on Shopping centre banning photographs
Maria's away and Roy, who finds Tony collapsed in the street and gives him first aid, feels duty bound to stay with him in hospital.
CORONATION STREET
Sat on a plane bound for South Africa the Wasps chief allowed himself a solitary toast to mark his side's achievement but as Wales' trusted lieutenant, Edwards felt duty bound to underline his commitment to the Grand Slam champions for their Test series against the Springboks.
IN BRIEF: Edwards focused on his new task
Martin's insistence that he is duty bound as prime minister to affirm any so-called right that is read into the Charter by the courts is not only wrong in principle, but fundamentally undemocratic.
Judicial abuse of power
A spokesman for the firm said they were "duty bound" to report the matter, even though there have been just five complaints.
Needles and glass in bread
The school decided for very good reasons that pupils should not snowball and pupils were duty bound to obey.
Tip of the iceberg?
There is no need to elaborate on the wrongness of this product, though I feel duty bound to report that one of the manufacturer's taglines was WILL NOT CONSTIPATE."
Sweet relics
The FAI are duty bound to distribute 2,000 tickets to Lansdowne Road block bookers, players and sponsors.
Football: IT'S BASEL FAULTY; EXCLUSIVE ONLY 1,000 TICKETS LEFT FOR KERR'S SWISS ARMY
It is wrong to imply that because there is a new scientific story of the world we are inevitably bound to follow it, or that we are duty bound to try to follow it.
Centre on artistic man: relax
I could not because I was a counselor, duty bound to protect my campers from such cruelty and to teach lessons about living in community.
Wimp No More
Her essays suggest, in fact, that the private self is duty bound to question, to resist, and to feel.
Anything We Love Can Be Saved