obliged

[ uh-blahyjd ]

/ əˈblaɪdʒd /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for obliged on Thesaurus.com

adjective

bound by duty, ethics, or politeness:You can bring something to share at the picnic, but please don't feel obliged.

forced by law, regulation, or necessity:All students are obliged to participate in an internship program.

appreciative or grateful:If you could shed some light on this mystery, I'd be obliged.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Idioms about obliged

(very) much obliged, thank you (very much):Much obliged for your efforts!

Origin of obliged

oblige + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM obliged

o·blig·ed·ly

[uh-blahy-jid-lee], /əˈblaɪ dʒɪd li/, adverbo·blig·ed·ness, nounun·o·bliged, adjective

Words nearby obliged

obligational authority, obligative, obligato, obligatory, oblige, obliged, obligee, obligement, obliging, obligor, oblique

How to use obliged in a sentence

Because our time on earth is so limited, it’s absurd to try to spend it doing everything you’d dreamed of, or all you feel obliged to do.
Everyone Procrastinates. Here's How to Accomplish What Matters Most to You|Oliver Burkeman|August 31, 2021|Time
“There is a very, very cautious approach not to oblige people to get vaccinated,” says Emmanuel Rivière, director general in France of the polling agency Kantar Public.
France’s vaunted health system fails its greatest test in generations: The COVID-19 vaccine rollout|Vivienne Walt|January 4, 2021|Fortune
None of the countries involved wanted to open the door to being obliged to take climate migrants in, Burke told me.
The Big Thaw: How Russia Could Dominate a Warming World|by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Sergey Ponomarev|December 16, 2020|ProPublica
A critic can follow his or her own whim, from thing to thing, enthusiasm to enthusiasm, no longer obliged to pass judgment on things that aren’t of interest.
Transformed by crisis, arts criticism may never be the same. And that’s a good thing.|Philip Kennicott|November 29, 2020|Washington Post

I asked Andy if I could take a jar of them back home to Los Angeles, and he obliged.
Mushroom Hunting at the End of the World|Danny Palumbo|November 12, 2020|Eater
There were times when he seemed to feel obliged to tell Alfred Hitchcock stories.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There, so taken, caught in the act, flat-footed, we are obliged to make our stand.
McConaughey’s ‘Stand’—And Ours|James Poulos|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After each session, she would sit with those who obliged and speak to them about their past, problems and desires.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix|Justin Jones|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She claimed he proceeded to ask for the same, to which she happily obliged.
The ‘Back Door’ Is Having Its Pop Culture Moment|Gabriella Paiella|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No soldier is obliged to obey a law contrary to the law of God.
Why Pope Francis Wants to Declare Murdered Archbishop Romero a Saint|Christopher Dickey|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I suppose he is sick of the sound of them, or perhaps it is because he feels obliged to be conscientious in teaching Beethoven!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
The unhappy applicant was naturally obliged to temporarily retire from the game, at all events for that night.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
At the latter date all artists were obliged to vacate the Sorbonne ateliers to make room for some new department of instruction.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
And when he answered it, he was obliged to acknowledge that she had made upon his nature a definite impression.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
That is the reason I feel obliged to return—if Mac is no longer able—or willing—to get up at night.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton