Bound vs. Leap — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 7, 2024
Bound involves restricted movement or a predetermined path, while leap refers to a sudden or large jump, often implying freedom or spontaneity.
Difference Between Bound and Leap
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Bound is typically associated with limitations or constraints, often used metaphorically to describe obligations or literal physical constraints. On the other hand, leap suggests a movement that is free and energetic, characterized by a sudden and significant jump either physically or metaphorically.
In physics, to be bound usually refers to being held within a system by forces, like electrons bound in an atom. Whereas a leap in physics might describe a particle moving from one point to another over a barrier or gap without being confined by continuous space.
In everyday language, "bound" can imply heading towards a certain destination with a sense of inevitability or restriction (e.g., homeward bound). In contrast, "leap" can imply a choice made spontaneously, such as taking a leap of faith or leaping into a new venture.
When discussing movement, bound often refers to a series of small, quick jumps, such as an animal bounding across a field. Conversely, a leap is usually a single, long jump, often used to overcome an obstacle or reach a high point.
In literature, being bound can symbolize a character’s restrictions or limitations within the storyline. Conversely, taking a leap might symbolize breaking free from constraints or making a significant change in the plot or character development.
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Comparison Chart
Physical Movement
Series of small, rapid jumps
Single, large jump
Metaphorical Usage
Constraints, limitations, inevitability
Freedom, spontaneity, significant change
Linguistic Context
Often implies obligation or destination (e.g., bound for home)
Suggests choice and spontaneity (e.g., leap of faith)
Literary Symbolism
Character or plot limitations
Breaking free or significant change
Common Phrases
Homeward bound, bound by duty
Take a leap, leap of faith
Compare with Definitions
Bound
Restricted by obligations.
She felt bound by her promise to keep the secret.
Leap
Make a drastic change in thought or action.
She took a leap of faith and started her own business.
Bound
Constrained physically.
The prisoner was bound with ropes.
Leap
Enter enthusiastically into a new activity.
He leapt into his new project with zeal.
Bound
Tied to a course of action.
He is bound to follow the rules.
Leap
Jump across a large distance.
The cat took a leap across the gap.
Bound
Heading towards a destination.
The train is Chicago-bound.
Leap
Rise suddenly in position or rank.
Her career made a significant leap forward.
Bound
Inevitably linked or connected.
They are bound by a shared history.
Leap
Skip or bypass steps in a process.
The new technology allows us to leap over traditional hurdles.
Bound
Walk or run with leaping strides
Shares bounded ahead in early dealing
Louis came bounding down the stairs
Leap
Jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force
Fabia's heart leapt excitedly
He leapt on to the parapet
Bound
Form the boundary of; enclose
The ground was bounded by a main road on one side and a meadow on the other
Leap
Move quickly and suddenly
Polly leapt to her feet
Bound
Past and past participle of bind
Leap
A forceful jump or quick movement
She came downstairs in a series of flying leaps
Bound
A leaping movement towards or over something
I went up the steps in two effortless bounds
Leap
A group of leopards
We stopped to photograph a leap of leopards
Bound
A territorial limit; a boundary
The ancient bounds of the forest
Leap
To propel oneself quickly upward or a long way; spring or jump
The goat leaped over the wall. The salmon leapt across the barrier.
Bound
Certain to be or to do or have something
There is bound to be a change of plan
Leap
To move quickly or suddenly
Leaped out of his chair to answer the door.
Bound
Restricted or confined to a specified place
His job kept him city-bound
Leap
To change quickly or abruptly from one condition or subject to another
Always leaping to conclusions.
Bound
(of a book) having a specified binding
Fine leather-bound books
Leap
To act quickly or impulsively
Leaped at the opportunity to travel.
Bound
(of a grammatical element) occurring only in combination with another form.
Leap
To enter eagerly into an activity; plunge
Leapt into the project with both feet.
Bound
Going or ready to go towards a specified place
An express train bound for Edinburgh
The three moon-bound astronauts
Leap
To propel oneself over
I couldn't leap the brook.
Bound
To leap forward or upward; jump; spring
The dog bounded over the gate.
Leap
To cause to leap
She leapt her horse over the hurdle.
Bound
To move forward by leaps or springs
The deer bounded into the woods.
Leap
The act of leaping; a jump.
Bound
To spring back from a surface; rebound
The basketball bounded off the backboard.
Leap
A place jumped over or from.
Bound
To set a limit to; confine
A high wall that bounded the prison yard.
Lives that were bounded by poverty.
Leap
The distance cleared in a leap.
Bound
To constitute the boundary or limit of
A city park that was bounded by busy streets.
Leap
An abrupt or precipitous passage, shift, or transition
A leap from rags to riches.
Bound
To identify the boundaries of; demarcate.
Leap
(intransitive) To jump.
Bound
To border on another place, state, or country.
Leap
(transitive) To pass over by a leap or jump.
To leap a wall or a ditch
Bound
Past tense and past participle of bind.
Leap
To copulate with (a female beast)
Bound
A leap; a jump
The deer was away in a single bound.
Leap
To copulate with (a human)
Bound
A springing back from a surface after hitting it; a bounce
Caught the ball on the bound.
Leap
(transitive) To cause to leap.
To leap a horse across a ditch
Bound
Often bounds A boundary; a limit
Our joy knew no bounds. Your remarks exceed the bounds of reason.
Leap
The act of leaping or jumping.
He made a leap across the river.
Bound
Bounds The territory on, within, or near limiting lines
The bounds of the kingdom.
Leap
The distance traversed by a leap or jump.
Bound
Confined by bonds; tied
Bound hostages.
Leap
A group of leopards.
Bound
Being under legal or moral obligation
Bound by my promise.
Leap
(figuratively) A significant move forward.
Bound
Equipped with a cover or binding
Bound volumes.
Leap
(figuratively) A large step in reasoning, often one that is not justified by the facts.
It's quite a leap to claim that those cloud formations are evidence of UFOs.
Bound
Predetermined; certain
We're bound to be late.
Leap
(mining) A fault.
Bound
Determined; resolved
Many public policy students are bound to be politicians one day.
Leap
Copulation with, or coverture of, a female beast.
Bound
(Linguistics) Being a form, especially a morpheme, that cannot stand as an independent word, such as a prefix or suffix.
Leap
(music) A passing from one note to another by an interval, especially by a long one, or by one including several other intermediate intervals.
Bound
Constipated.
Leap
A salmon ladder.
Bound
Headed or intending to head in a specified direction
Commuters bound for home.
A south-bound train.
Leap
A trap or snare for fish, made from twigs; a weely.
Bound
Simple past tense and past participle of bind
I bound the splint to my leg.
I had bound the splint with duct tape.
Leap
Half a bushel.
Bound
To surround a territory or other geographical entity; to form the boundary of.
France, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra bound Spain.
Kansas is bounded by Nebraska on the north, Missouri on the east, Oklahoma on the south and Colorado on the west.
Leap
A basket.
Bound
To be the bound of.
Leap
A weel or wicker trap for fish.
Bound
(intransitive) To leap, move by jumping.
The rabbit bounded down the lane.
Leap
The act of leaping, or the space passed by leaping; a jump; a spring; a bound.
Wickedness comes on by degrees, . . . and sudden leaps from one extreme to another are unnatural.
Changes of tone may proceed either by leaps or glides.
Bound
(transitive) To cause to leap.
To bound a horse
Leap
Copulation with, or coverture of, a female beast.
Bound
To rebound; to bounce.
A rubber ball bounds on the floor
Leap
A fault.
Bound
To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; to bounce.
To bound a ball on the floor
Leap
A passing from one note to another by an interval, especially by a long one, or by one including several other and intermediate intervals.
Bound
(with infinitive) Obliged (to).
You are not legally bound to reply.
Leap
To spring clear of the ground, with the feet; to jump; to vault; as, a man leaps over a fence, or leaps upon a horse.
Leap in with me into this angry flood.
Bound
That cannot stand alone as a free word.
Leap
To spring or move suddenly, as by a jump or by jumps; to bound; to move swiftly. Also Fig.
My heart leaps up when I beholdA rainbow in the sky.
Bound
Constrained by a quantifier.
Leap
To pass over by a leap or jump; as, to leap a wall, or a ditch.
Bound
(dated) Constipated; costive.
Leap
To copulate with (a female beast); to cover.
Bound
Confined or restricted to a certain place; e.g. railbound.
Leap
To cause to leap; as, to leap a horse across a ditch.
Bound
Unable to move in certain conditions; e.g. snowbound.
Leap
A light springing movement upwards or forwards
Bound
(obsolete) Ready, prepared.
Leap
An abrupt transition;
A successful leap from college to the major leagues
Bound
Ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of).
Which way are you bound?
Is that message bound for me?
Leap
A sudden and decisive increase;
A jump in attendance
Bound
(with infinitive) Very likely (to), certain to
They were bound to come into conflict eventually.
Leap
The distance leaped (or to be leaped);
A leap of 10 feet
Bound
A boundary, the border which one must cross in order to enter or leave a territory.
I reached the northern bound of my property, took a deep breath and walked on.
Somewhere within these bounds you may find a buried treasure.
Leap
Move forward by leaps and bounds;
The horse bounded across the meadow
The child leapt across the puddle
Can you jump over the fence?
Bound
(mathematics) A value which is known to be greater or smaller than a given set of values.
Leap
Pass abruptly from one state or topic to another;
Leap into fame
Jump to a conclusion
Bound
A sizeable jump, great leap.
The deer crossed the stream in a single bound.
Leap
Cause to jump or leap;
The trainer jumped the tiger through the hoop
Bound
A spring from one foot to the other in dancing.
Bound
(dated) A bounce; a rebound.
Bound
The external or limiting line, either real or imaginary, of any object or space; that which limits or restrains, or within which something is limited or restrained; limit; confine; extent; boundary.
He hath compassed the waters with bounds.
On earth's remotest bounds.
And mete the bounds of hate and love.
Bound
A leap; an elastic spring; a jump.
A bound of graceful hardihood.
Bound
Rebound; as, the bound of a ball.
Bound
Spring from one foot to the other.
Bound
To limit; to terminate; to fix the furthest point of extension of; - said of natural or of moral objects; to lie along, or form, a boundary of; to inclose; to circumscribe; to restrain; to confine.
Where full measure only bounds excess.
Phlegethon . . .Whose fiery flood the burning empire bounds.
Bound
To name the boundaries of; as, to bound France.
Bound
To move with a sudden spring or leap, or with a succession of springs or leaps; as the beast bounded from his den; the herd bounded across the plain.
Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds.
And the waves bound beneath me as a steedThat knows his rider.
Bound
To rebound, as an elastic ball.
Bound
To make to bound or leap; as, to bound a horse.
Bound
To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; as, to bound a ball on the floor.
Bound
Restrained by a hand, rope, chain, fetters, or the like.
Bound
Inclosed in a binding or cover; as, a bound volume.
Bound
Under legal or moral restraint or obligation.
Bound
Constrained or compelled; destined; certain; - followed by the infinitive; as, he is bound to succeed; he is bound to fail.
Bound
Resolved; as, I am bound to do it.
Bound
Constipated; costive.
Bound
Ready or intending to go; on the way toward; going; - with to or for, or with an adverb of motion; as, a ship is bound to Cadiz, or for Cadiz.
Bound
A line determining the limits of an area
Bound
The line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something
Bound
A light springing movement upwards or forwards
Bound
Move forward by leaps and bounds;
The horse bounded across the meadow
The child leapt across the puddle
Can you jump over the fence?
Bound
Form the boundary of; be contiguous to
Bound
Place limits on (extent or access);
Restrict the use of this parking lot
Limit the time you can spend with your friends
Bound
Spring back; spring away from an impact;
The rubber ball bounced
These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide
Bound
Held with another element, substance or material in chemical or physical union
Bound
Confined by bonds;
Bound and gagged hostages
Bound
Secured with a cover or binding; often used as a combining form;
Bound volumes
Leather-bound volumes
Bound
(usually followed by `to') governed by fate;
Bound to happen
An old house destined to be demolished
He is destined to be famous
Bound
Covered or wrapped with a bandage;
The bandaged wound on the back of his head
An injury bound in fresh gauze
Bound
Headed or intending to head in a certain direction; often used as a combining form as in `college-bound students';
Children bound for school
A flight destined for New York
Bound
Bound by an oath;
A bound official
Bound
Bound by contract
Bound
Confined in the bowels;
He is bound in the belly
Common Curiosities
How do bound and leap differ in metaphorical usage?
Bound often implies restrictions or inevitabilities, whereas leap suggests freedom and significant change.
What is the primary difference between bound and leap in terms of physical movement?
Bound refers to restrained, often repetitive movement, while leap refers to a large, sudden jump.
What are some common phrases using "bound"?
Common phrases include "homeward bound" and "bound by duty."
Can you explain bound in a literary context?
In literature, bound can symbolize limitations or constraints on a character or situation.
What are some common phrases using "leap"?
Examples include "take a leap" and "leap of faith."
What does taking a "leap of faith" mean?
It means making a decision or action based on trust without complete assurance of the outcome.
What does a leap symbolize in stories?
A leap often symbolizes a character's break from constraints or pivotal moments of change.
How does the physical action of bounding differ from leaping?
Bounding involves repeated small jumps, while leaping is a single, more substantial jump.
How is "bound" used to express inevitability?
Phrases like "bound to happen" suggest something is almost certain to occur.
What does "leap forward" mean in a career context?
It refers to a significant, often rapid, advancement in one's career.
What does being "Chicago-bound" imply?
It implies traveling toward or destined for Chicago.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
