confining

1. 1
   adjective

   Tending to limit or restrict, leaving little freedom of movement or action.

   The cramped cabin grew increasingly confining over the long voyage.

   Many employees described the strict dress code as confining.

   Similarrestrictive, cramped, claustrophobic, stifling

   Oppositeliberating, freeing, spacious, roomy

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of confine.

   The new policy is confining travel to essential trips only.

   Authorities began confining residents to their homes during the curfew.

   Note

   The -ing form does double duty: as a progressive (is confining travel) and as a gerund (confining residents proved unpopular). Either way it takes a direct object, usually followed by a to-phrase naming the limit. Without an object it becomes the adjective meaning restrictive, which can be graded as more or most confining. The verb cannot be graded that way. The verb once also meant to border on something, a use now obsolete.

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