Synonyms

obey

American

[oh-bey] / oʊˈbeɪ /

verb (used with object)

to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of.

to obey one's parents.
to comply with or follow (a command, restriction, wish, instruction, etc.).
(of things) to respond conformably in action to.

The car obeyed the slightest touch of the steering wheel.
to submit or conform in action to (some guiding principle, impulse, one's conscience, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to be obedient.

to agree to obey.

obey British

/ əˈbeɪ /

verb

to carry out (instructions or orders); comply with (demands)
to behave or act in accordance with (one's feelings, whims, etc)

"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

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Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of obey

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English obeien, from Old French obeir, from Latin oboedīre, equivalent to ob- ob- + audīre “to hear”; -oe- for expected -ū- is unclear

Explanation

When you obey, you follow someone's rules or instructions. In the old days, all of a monarchy's citizens were expected to obey the commands of their king or queen. You might be expected to obey the rules your strict parents lay down, or to obey the guidelines of a group or club you belong to. Religious Christians obey God, and soldiers obey the direct orders their commanding officers give them. To obey is to be obedient, and both words come from the Latin obedire, which literally means "listen to," but is used to mean "pay attention to."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

obey obeys obeyed obeying

"Australia's world-leading social media laws are not failing. But big tech is failing to obey the laws," Communications Minister Anika Wells said at the time.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

But guests will have to obey one rule, don't mention the fishing trip.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

When the next president swears an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” he undertakes both to obey the Constitution and to remove threats to it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Instead of assuming a detailed theory from the start, scientists begin with a few broad principles they believe nature must obey and then determine what laws naturally emerge.

From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026

I told myself to let go, and my arm jerked up as though it meant to obey, except my fingers were still clenched tightly around the ashtray’s edge.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

In other words, the deal appears to strike a balance that will ensure the university obeys the law without coercive overreach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

He added that he "obeys the government and will pay it" as he didn't know the repayment was not legally required.

From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2025

Min-sung obeys Young-tak to ensure access to resources, but at home Myung-hwa can’t hide her disappointment in him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2023

Quantum mechanics background: All the matter in the universe obeys the laws of quantum theory, but we only really observe quantum behaviour at the scale of atoms and molecules.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2023

“No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules.”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Driverless cars haven’t always obeyed the rules of the road but, unlike vehicles with humans behind the wheel, they’ve gotten away with it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Six merchant vessels obeyed direction from U.S. forces to reverse course and re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman, Centcom said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Military law establishes a strong presumption that military orders are lawful and must be obeyed.

From Slate ● Nov. 24, 2025

When calculating probabilities with Bayes' rule, the principle of minimum change is obeyed.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2025

I try my best to sound like Madoc, to sound as if I am used to having my commands obeyed.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Pasha said he was instructed to film and send proof to the authorities that the school was obeying the new curriculum.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

They are the ones most likely to be held accountable for obeying and transmitting unlawful orders because they are the ones who had the best chance of getting those orders changed or revoked.

From Slate ● Nov. 24, 2025

Binance set up Binance.US in 2019 as a bare-bones American platform obeying U.S. rules.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

Increasingly, U.S. companies are worried that by obeying U.S. laws, they could run afoul of Chinese rules.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025

She would keel over on the spot, her soul obeying that beautiful voice and those kind eyes.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023