obedient

[ oh-bee-dee-uhnt ]

adjective

1. obeying or willing to obey; complying with or submissive to authority:

   an obedient son.

   Synonyms: respectful, deferential, yielding, tractable, docile, compliant

   Antonyms: recalcitrant

obedient

/ əˈbiːdɪənt /

adjective

1. obeying or willing to obey

Derived Forms

• oˈbediently, adverb

Other Words From

• o·bedi·ent·ly adverb
• over·o·bedi·ent adjective
• over·o·bedi·ent·ly adverb
• preo·bedi·ent adjective
• preo·bedi·ent·ly adverb
• quasi-o·bedi·ent adjective
• quasi-o·bedi·ent·ly adverb
• super·o·bedi·ent adjective
• super·o·bedi·ent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of obedient¹

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin oboedient- (stem of oboediēns ), present participle of oboedīre to obey; -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of obedient¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin oboediens, present participle of oboedīre to obey

Example Sentences

He is, however, obedient about not turning on the stove burner without permission.

From The Daily Beast

Being obedient disciples, they got in their carriages and followed their rebbe.

From The Daily Beast

Prachi, meanwhile, is obedient to her father, but has a major problem with his mandate that she wed.

From The Daily Beast

Such obedient conduct does not bring ‘value-added’ to the U.S.-U.K. relationship, nor help improve matters on the ground in Syria.

From The Daily Beast

Inside her home, she was an obedient Nigerian child, eating beef stews for breakfast and wearing the traditional garb.

From The Daily Beast

Had you not been loved, you never would have been chastised—you would never have become an obedient and willing child.

From Project Gutenberg

Now she imagined herself no longer possessing but entirely possessed; no longer commanding, but utterly obedient.

From Project Gutenberg

He had evidently assumed the direction of matters and his big assistant was amusingly obedient.

From Project Gutenberg

But we have dwelt in tents, and have been obedient according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

From Project Gutenberg

Otherwise he was obedient, and generally enjoyed romping with his sisters.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• attentive
• compliant
• deferential
• devoted
• docile
• dutiful
• faithful
• law-abiding
• loyal
• respectful
• subservient