A person or animal who is obedient does what they are told to do.
He was very respectful at home and obedient to his parents.
What a sweet, obedient little girl she was in the sixth grade.
Synonyms: submissive, yielding, compliant, under control More Synonyms of obedient
obedienceuncountable noun
...unquestioning obedience to the law. [+ to]
They command the respect and obedience of the armed forces.
Synonyms: compliance, yielding, submission, respect More Synonyms of obedient
obedientlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
He was looking obediently at Keith, waiting for orders.
Synonyms: submissively, meekly, dutifully, passively More Synonyms of obedient
obedient in British English
(əˈbiːdɪənt)
adjective
obeying or willing to obey
Derived forms
obediently (oˈbediently)
adverb
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin oboediens, present participle of oboedīre to obey
obedient in American English
(oʊˈbidiənt)
adjective
obeying or willing to obey; submissive
SYNONYMY NOTE: obedient suggests a giving in to the orders or instructions of one in authority or control[an obedient child]; docile implies a temperament that submits easily to control or that fails to resist domination[a docile servant]; tractable implies ease of management or control but does not connote the submissiveness of, docile and applies to things as well as people [silver is a tractable, i.e., malleable, metal]; compliant suggests a weakness of character that allows one to yield meekly to another's requestor demand [army life had made him compliant]; amenable suggests such amiability or desire to be agreeable as would lead one to submit readily[she is amenable to discipline]
OPPOSITES: disobedient, refractory
Derived forms
obediently (oˈbediently)
adverb
Word origin
OFr < L obediens, prp. of obedire, obey
Examples of 'obedient' in a sentence
obedient
I am your obedient servant.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
He was always a polite and obedient person.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Tomorrow we will find out if he has become an obedient one.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Our obedient dog lay motionless as we stood and watched the trio work the currents of the river.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They were physically tough and exquisitely beautiful, but also intelligent and as obedient as dogs.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But with meditation, the mind can become far more obedient and still.
The Sun (2007)
He marched stiffly to show me how to make each finger dance up and down, staccato like an obedient little soldier.
Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook (1995)
I remain, your obedient humble servant.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Is the horse obedient and willing, making smooth transitions when asked, slowing down just as easily as moving up a gear?
Eccles, Lesley Your First Horse - buying, feeding, caring (1989)
I don't think they are going to be obedient, willing subjects in the future.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
In other languages
obedient
British English: obedient /əˈbiːdɪənt/ ADJECTIVE
An obedient person or animal does what they are told to do.
He was always a very obedient boy.
American English: obedient
Arabic: مُطَيعٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: obediente
Chinese: 服从的
Croatian: poslušan
Czech: poslušný
Danish: lydig
Dutch: gehoorzaam
European Spanish: obediente
Finnish: tottelevainen
French: obéissant
German: gehorsam
Greek: υπάκουος
Italian: ubbidiente
Japanese: 従順な
Korean: 순종하는
Norwegian: lydig
Polish: posłuszny
European Portuguese: obediente
Romanian: obedient
Russian: послушный
Latin American Spanish: obediente
Swedish: lydig
Thai: เชื่อฟัง
Turkish: itaatkar
Ukrainian: слухняний
Vietnamese: ngoan ngoãn
Chinese translation of 'obedient'
obedient
(əˈbiːdɪənt)
adj
[child, dog]顺(順)从(從)的 (shùncóng de)
(adjective)
Definition
obeying or willing to obey
a sweet, obedient little child
Synonyms
submissive
Most doctors want their patients to be submissive.
yielding
His personality was sometimes prickly, sometimes yielding.
compliant
a docile and compliant workforce
under control
respectful
He was always so polite and respectful.
law-abiding
We want to protect decent law-abiding people and their property.
well-trained
amenable
I've never had a long-term relationship. I'm not amenable enough.
docile
They were docile, obedient children.
dutiful
The days of the dutiful spouse are over.
subservient
He expects all the staff to be subservient to him.
deferential
stars who like five-star hotels and deferential treatment
tractable
He could easily manage his tractable younger brother.
acquiescent
The other men were acquiescent but he had an independent streak.
biddable
accommodating
passive
their passive acceptance of the new regime
meek
He was a meek, mild-mannered fellow.
ingratiating
malleable
pliant
She's proud and stubborn under that pliant exterior.
obsequious
She is positively obsequious to anyone with a title.
unresisting
bootlicking (informal)
obeisant
duteous
Opposites
contrary
,
stubborn
,
rebellious
,
wayward
,
unruly
,
intractable
,
obstinate
,
disrespectful
,
unmanageable
,
obdurate
,
disobedient
,
ungovernable
,
undutiful
Additional synonyms
in the sense of acquiescent
The other men were acquiescent but he had an independent streak.
Synonyms
submissive,
agreeing,
accepting,
approving,
yielding,
consenting,
accommodating,
conforming,
agreeable,
meek,
assenting,
obedient,
compliant,
amenable,
acceding,
concurrent,
ingratiating,
malleable,
deferential,
pliant,
obsequious,
tractable,
unresisting,
bootlicking (informal),
obeisant
in the sense of amenable
Definition
likely or willing to cooperate
I've never had a long-term relationship. I'm not amenable enough.
Synonyms
receptive,
open,
susceptible,
responsive,
agreeable,
compliant,
tractable,
acquiescent,
persuadable,
able to be influenced
in the sense of biddable
Definition
obedient
Synonyms
obedient,
cooperative,
amenable,
docile,
tractable,
complaisant,
teachable
Synonyms of 'obedient'
obedient
Explore 'obedient' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of compliant
a docile and compliant workforce
Synonyms
obedient,
willing,
accepting,
yielding,
obliging,
accommodating,
passive,
cooperative,
agreeable,
submissive,
conformist,
deferential,
acquiescent,
complaisant,
conformable,
accordant,
assentient,
consentient
in the sense of deferential
Definition
showing respect
stars who like five-star hotels and deferential treatment
Synonyms
respectful,
civil,
polite,
courteous,
considerate,
obedient,
submissive,
dutiful,
ingratiating,
reverential,
obsequious,
complaisant,
obeisant,
regardful
in the sense of docile
Definition
(of a person or animal) easily controlled
They were docile, obedient children.
Synonyms
obedient,
manageable,
compliant,
amenable,
submissive,
pliant,
tractable,
biddable,
ductile,
teachable (rare)
in the sense of dutiful
Definition
doing what is expected
The days of the dutiful spouse are over.
Synonyms
conscientious,
devoted,
obedient,
respectful,
compliant,
submissive,
docile,
deferential,
reverential,
filial,
punctilious,
duteous (archaic)
in the sense of law-abiding
Definition
obeying the laws
We want to protect decent law-abiding people and their property.
Synonyms
obedient,
good,
peaceful,
honourable,
orderly,
honest,
lawful,
compliant,
dutiful,
peaceable
in the sense of meek
Definition
quiet, and ready to do what other people say
He was a meek, mild-mannered fellow.
Synonyms
submissive,
soft,
yielding,
gentle,
peaceful,
modest,
mild,
patient,
humble,
timid,
long-suffering,
compliant,
unassuming,
unpretentious,
docile,
deferential,
forbearing,
acquiescent
in the sense of obsequious
Definition
being overattentive in order to gain favour
She is positively obsequious to anyone with a title.
Synonyms
servile,
flattering,
cringing,
fawning,
abject,
submissive,
grovelling,
menial,
subservient,
ingratiating,
deferential,
sycophantic,
slavish,
unctuous,
smarmy (British, informal),
mealy-mouthed,
toadying,
bootlicking (informal),
toadyish
in the sense of passive
Definition
submissive and receptive to outside forces
their passive acceptance of the new regime
Synonyms
submissive,
resigned,
compliant,
receptive,
lifeless,
docile,
nonviolent,
quiescent,
acquiescent,
unassertive,
unresisting
in the sense of pliant
Definition
easily influenced
She's proud and stubborn under that pliant exterior.
Synonyms
impressionable,
susceptible,
manageable,
adaptable,
compliant,
yielding,
pliable,
easily led,
tractable,
biddable,
persuadable,
influenceable
in the sense of respectful
Definition
full of or showing respect
He was always so polite and respectful.
Synonyms
polite,
civil,
mannerly,
humble,
gracious,
courteous,
obedient,
submissive,
self-effacing,
dutiful,
courtly,
deferential,
reverential,
solicitous,
reverent,
regardful,
well-mannered
Additional synonyms
in the sense of subservient
Definition
overeager to carry out someone else's wishes
He expects all the staff to be subservient to him.
Synonyms
servile,
submissive,
deferential,
subject,
inferior,
abject,
sycophantic,
slavish,
obsequious,
truckling,
bootlicking (informal)
in the sense of tractable
Definition
easy to control, manage, or deal with
He could easily manage his tractable younger brother.
Synonyms
manageable,
obedient,
compliant,
willing,
yielding,
tame,
amenable,
submissive,
docile,
controllable,
biddable,
persuadable,
governable
in the sense of yielding
Definition
compliant or submissive
His personality was sometimes prickly, sometimes yielding.