dutiful

adjective

du·​ti·​ful ˈdü-ti-fəl 

 also  ˈdyü-

1

: filled with or motivated by a sense of duty

a dutiful child

2

: proceeding from or expressive of a sense of duty

a dutiful effort

dutifully

ˈd(y)ü-ti-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

dutifulness

ˈd(y)ü-ti-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• respectful
• deferent

Examples of dutiful in a Sentence

the dutiful way he took care of his sick mother

the family showed a dutiful deference to their minister when he came to dinner

Recent Examples on the Web

With such a broad yet shallow scope, Washington Black occasionally takes on the dutiful feel of an educational video. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2025

Anne needed to grow beyond being a dutiful, persuadable young woman. —Brandon Taylor, Time, 17 July 2025

No! Indiscriminate mass deportation of our law abiding, industrious, dutiful neighbors only recently arrived? —Timothy Cardinal Dolan, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025

Jess’s parasocial fixation culminates in some pat feminist revelations that struck me as at once dutiful and a little too online. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dutiful

• undutiful

Kids Definition

dutiful

adjective

du·​ti·​ful ˈd(y)üt-i-fəl 

: having or showing a sense of duty

dutifully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

dutifulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun