Beholden means owing someone gratitude or loyalty because they've done something important for you. When you're beholden to someone, you feel obligated to them, almost like you're in their debt.

Imagine your neighbor helps your family during a difficult time, perhaps by bringing meals when a parent is sick or helping fix something broken. Your family might feel beholden to that neighbor, wanting to return the kindness somehow. Or picture a politician who receives large campaign donations from a wealthy businessperson. People might worry the politician feels beholden to that donor and might make decisions to benefit them rather than the public.

The word carries a sense of being tied down by obligation. Being beholden isn't quite the same as simply feeling grateful. Gratitude is warm and voluntary; being beholden suggests you can't easily shake free from the feeling that you owe something. That's why people often try to avoid being beholden to others, preferring to stay independent and make their own choices.

You'll often see this word in the phrase “beholden to,” as in “She didn't want to be beholden to anyone.” Some people work extra hard to pay their own way so they won't feel beholden to others for their success.