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atado

tied

adjective ah-TAH-doh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Conditions

Also means

bound

Usage Note

Atado is the past participle of atar (to tie) used as an adjective, meaning physically or figuratively bound. The idiomatic phrase estar atado de manos (to have one's hands tied) means to be powerless to act, paralleling the English idiom exactly. In the River Plate region (Argentina, Uruguay) atado is also a colloquial noun meaning a bundle or packet — notably a packet of cigarettes.

Examples

"El paquete llegó bien atado."

Natural Translation

The package arrived well tied.

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