dutiful

[ doo-tuh-fuhl, dyoo- ]

/ ˈdu tə fəl, ˈdyu- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: dutiful / dutifully on Thesaurus.com

adjective

performing the duties expected or required of one; characterized by doing one's duty: a dutiful citizen;a dutiful child.

required by duty; proceeding from or expressive of a sense of duty: dutiful attention.

OTHER WORDS FOR dutiful

1 respectful, deferential, obedient, submissive, duteous.

See synonyms for dutiful on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dutiful

First recorded in 1545–55; duty + -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM dutiful

du·ti·ful·ly, adverbqua·si-du·ti·ful, adjectiveun·du·ti·ful, adjective

Words nearby dutiful

Dutch West Indies, Dutch wife, Dutchwoman, duteous, dutiable, dutiful, dutifully, Dutton, duty, duty-bound, duty-free

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dutiful in a sentence

First and foremost, our identification is imprinted upon Moore’s character, Cathy Whitaker, a housewife living within a picture-perfect existence as an ideal and dutiful homemaker.
‘Far From Heaven’ still packs a punch 20 years later|John Paul King|November 10, 2022|Washington Blade
The look wasn’t indulgent or even dutiful, it was polite verging on dismissive.
A Clenched Fist and an Open Hand: Lessons Learned from Desmond Tutu|Bono|December 31, 2021|Time
It is my first memory of my mother, a dutiful military wife of the era, openly staking out a position opposing my father.
How a 12-year-old Billie Jean King decided to change the world|Liz Clarke|August 27, 2021|Washington Post
Toni Collette is Marina, the dutiful, focused captain of a ship headed to Mars.
Netflix's Pensive Stowaway Tangles with Issues of Morality, and Selfhood, in Space|Stephanie Zacharek|April 22, 2021|Time

She appeared at his side, impish smile in place, dutiful, fragrantly rather than ferociously sexy, and—frustratingly—an adjunct.
How Can Katie Holmes Escape Tom Cruise—and ‘Dawson’s Creek’?|Tim Teeman|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A cousin took me to the National Frontier Trail Museum, where I jotted down dutiful notes.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ibrahim made clear to Deputy Dennis Meyer that his daughter was a respectful and dutiful girl of Sudanese extraction.
How ISIS’s Colorado Girls Were Caught|Michael Daly|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Revered and dutiful, he fought (and was injured) in World War II, and succeeded to the tile in 1953.
For Sale: The $3M British Mountain—With Aristocratic Family Feud Included|Tom Sykes|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But this detachment gives the biography a dutiful, going-through-the-motions tone.
Clare Boothe Luce's Vapid Second Act|Wendy Smith|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is dutiful for some to give themselves to the work of the ministry, and to vow to do its duties; but not dutiful for all.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
To the greatest extent of the capacities of all, it is dutiful for them to obtain and distribute copies of the blessed word.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
Was it dutiful for the priests to read it to the people of Israel assembled at their solemn feasts?
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
Was it dutiful to make use of one copy of the law for instructing the people, when only one could be obtained?
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
It is dutiful for all who have the whole word of God, to use every lawful means in their power to make others know it.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham

British Dictionary definitions for dutiful

dutiful

/ (ˈdjuːtɪfʊl) /

adjective

exhibiting or having a sense of duty

characterized by or resulting from a sense of dutya dutiful answer

Derived forms of dutiful

dutifully, adverbdutifulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dutiful

OTHER WORDS FOR dutiful

Origin of dutiful

OTHER WORDS FROM dutiful

Words nearby dutiful

Words related to dutiful

How to use dutiful in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dutiful

Derived forms of dutiful