obliging

American  

[uh-blahy-jing] / əˈblaɪ dʒɪŋ /

adjective

1. willing or eager to do favors, offer one's services, etc.; accommodating.

   The clerk was most obliging.

   Synonyms:

   friendly, kind, helpful

2. obligating.

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obliging British  

/ əˈblaɪdʒɪŋ /

adjective

1. ready to do favours; agreeable; kindly

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Usage

What does obliging mean? Obliging is used to describe someone who is willing or eager to politely do things for others, such as performing favors or services for them, as in a most obliging host.It can also describe such a person’s actions, as in We appreciate your obliging service. A close synonym is accommodating.The word comes from the verb oblige, which commonly means to politely do something for someone, as in He’s the kind of person who’s happy to oblige no matter what the request is.Oblige also commonly means to require, compel, or constrain, but obliging is not typically used as an adjective in this sense.Example: You’ve been so obliging—we can’t thank you enough for all your hospitality.

Other Word Forms

• obligingly adverb
• obligingness noun
• unobliging adjective

Etymology

Origin of obliging

First recorded in 1630–40; oblige + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Cheddar is the classic choice, of course — bright, familiar, endlessly obliging — but there’s a whole constellation of cheeses that melt with equal charisma.

From Salon

In the match against an admittedly obliging Falkirk, Celtic scored four times in 90 minutes having scored only 12 in the 810 league minutes that went before.

From BBC

America’s military is, in short, well-prepared to fight a major conventional war against an obliging enemy like Iraq in 1991, but such a scenario is unlikely to lie in our future.

From Salon

“Friendship” surrounds Robinson with normalcy: filler talk, obliging laughter and the kind of handsome lighting you’d see in a home-insurance commercial.

From Los Angeles Times

Some investment funds have adopted specific rules against investing in weapons manufacturers and others have broader rules obliging them to consider the risk that investment could lead to human rights breaches.

From BBC