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
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
Def Leppard romps through visual and sonic feast In an interview with USA TODAY before the tour kickoff, guitarist Phil Collen said Def Leppard, always dutiful about stage presentation, had an invigorated production.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 24 July 2024
Even after all these years on the same show, there’s nothing about their energy that feels dutiful.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
There’s been exuberant fan service (a sprawling tribute to Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki) and dutiful minor-key spotlights on illustrious yet lower-profile luminaries like editor Thelma Schoonmaker and director Oscar Micheaux.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2024
Playing the doting, dutiful partner to the wrong person in hopes of changing them is a canon event.
—Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dutiful 
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 24 July 2024
Even after all these years on the same show, there’s nothing about their energy that feels dutiful.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
There’s been exuberant fan service (a sprawling tribute to Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki) and dutiful minor-key spotlights on illustrious yet lower-profile luminaries like editor Thelma Schoonmaker and director Oscar Micheaux.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2024
Playing the doting, dutiful partner to the wrong person in hopes of changing them is a canon event.
—Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dutiful
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dutiful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dutiful
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dutiful. Accessed 7 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dutiful
adjective
du·ti·ful
ˈd(y)üt-i-fəl
: having or showing a sense of duty
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