obey
Americanverb (used with object)
-
obeys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obeyed,
past participle, past
-
obeying
present participle
-
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)
-
obeys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obeyed,
past participle, past
-
obeying
present participle
verb
-
to carry out (instructions or orders); comply with (demands)
-
to behave or act in accordance with (one's feelings, whims, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
obeyernoun
-
obeyableadjective
-
unobeyedadjective
-
unobeyingadjective
-
well-obeyedadjective
-
obeyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
obeysimple
-
obeyssimple
-
have obeyedperfect
-
has obeyedperfect
-
am obeyingprogressive
-
are obeyingprogressive
-
is obeyingprogressive
-
have been obeyingperfect progressive
-
has been obeyingperfect progressive
Past
-
obeyedsimple
-
had obeyedperfect
-
was obeyingprogressive
-
were obeyingprogressive
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Rachel the Clever"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The New England Primer"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“The pro-slavery factions were picking on specific verses like ‘slaves obey your masters’ and saying, ‘Well, we’re clearly advancing the more biblical society because look, the Bible says exactly what we’re doing,’” Coffman said.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
The results indicate that the local geometric components of spacetime obey a version of the first law of thermodynamics.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Because visitors and immigrants must obey U.S. laws, the court found that they are subject to its jurisdiction.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
But guests will have to obey one rule, don't mention the fishing trip.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“Gurgi hastens to obey, mighty lord. He will say no more, not even whisperings of what he saw. No, he will not disturb the sleepings of powerful heroes. See how he leaves, with tearful farewells.”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
The gravel bucket obeys that law, since shaking creates heat, which is disordered energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
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
But these are the laws our planet obeys as we ourselves, glued by gravity to the surface of the Earth, hurtle through interplanetary space.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The broader biographical facts are obeyed, but “Amadeus” is fundamentally ahistorical, and sometimes implausible: It is to be trusted only as television.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
But it was PSG who obeyed the message, delivering a third-minute hammer blow when Georgian genius Khvicha Kvaratskhelia raced down the wing before setting up Ousmane Dembele to lash a finish high past Manuel Neuer.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
I’d obeyed and failed to hit my Activity Goals for several days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
When calculating probabilities with Bayes' rule, the principle of minimum change is obeyed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2025
Moss yelled, and his feet obeyed his own order.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
However, the Nuremberg tribunals after World War II established in international law that obeying an unlawful order does not absolve an individual of responsibility for atrocities.
From Slate ● Dec. 3, 2025
What about the risks of obeying an unlawful order?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
It DE decides a school is not obeying the guidance it can be named and shamed.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 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
Time grows, obeying its mechanics, like all of us.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
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.
