obey
Americanverb (used with object)
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to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of.
to obey one's parents.
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to comply with or follow (a command, restriction, wish, instruction, etc.).
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(of things) to respond conformably in action to.
The car obeyed the slightest touch of the steering wheel.
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to submit or conform in action to (some guiding principle, impulse, one's conscience, etc.).
verb (used without object)
verb
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to carry out (instructions or orders); comply with (demands)
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to behave or act in accordance with (one's feelings, whims, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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obeyernoun
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obeyableadjective
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unobeyedadjective
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unobeyingadjective
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well-obeyedadjective
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obeyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obeysimple
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obeyssimple
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have obeyedperfect
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has obeyedperfect
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am obeyingprogressive
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are obeyingprogressive
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is obeyingprogressive
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have been obeyingperfect progressive
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has been obeyingperfect progressive
Past
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obeyedsimple
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had obeyedperfect
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was obeyingprogressive
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were obeyingprogressive
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had been obeyingperfect progressive
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."
Vocabulary lists containing obey
"Nadia the Willful"
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"Rachel the Clever"
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"The New England Primer"
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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.
He figures that if they have to exist, they ought to obey him.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
But guests will have to obey one rule, don't mention the fishing trip.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
That prefix would also have to remind the AI to obey the laws of physics with wording like: “gravity and inertia respected—mass has real weight, correct contact shadows, no floating props.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Beginning July 1, California law enforcement agencies may issue notices of AV noncompliance when an autonomous vehicle doesn’t obey traffic laws.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The damp, sweaty feeling would leave his head, his legs would obey him and take him where he wanted to go, racing up and down alleyways or along the high street.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
