obedient

adjective

obe·​di·​ent ō-ˈbē-dē-ənt 

ə-

: submissive to the restraint or command of authority : willing to obey

an obedient child

an obedient dog

obedient to those whom he feared

—A. N. Wilson

obediently adverb

Synonyms

• docile
• submissive
• compliant
• biddable
• restrained
• conformable
• tractable
• amenable
• meek
• gentle

Choose the Right Synonym for obedient

obedient, docile, tractable, amenable mean submissive to the will of another.

obedient implies compliance with the demands or requests of one in authority.

obedient to the government

docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance.

a docile child

tractable suggests having a character that permits easy handling or managing.

tractable animals

amenable suggests a willingness to yield or cooperate because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open-mindedness.

amenable to new ideas

Examples of obedient in a Sentence

that boy is so obedient that he does everything the first time he is asked

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s a difference, school leaders said, between building the confidence of girls, whom society expects to be obedient and agreeable, and building the confidence of boys, who get different societal messages. —Melanie Asmar, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2025

The Tyrell Corporation, a powerful company that created the replicants and profits from sending them to work on distant colonies, sees them as nothing more than obedient workers. —Claire A. Simmers, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2025

The pawrent, who uses the social media tag @dollythesassysausage, shared the unconventional tactic of tying the lead of their sausage dog, Dolly, to their sibling's dog—an obedient cocker spaniel called Cooper. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

The Golem was a powerful, obedient protector, performing tasks and defending the ghetto. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin oboedient-, oboediens, from present participle of oboedīre "to follow the commands of, submit to" — more at obey

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for obedient

• expedient
• ingredient
• disobedient
• inexpedient

Kids Definition

obedient

adjective

obe·​di·​ent ō-ˈbēd-ē-ənt 

ə-

: willing to obey

obediently adverb