obedient

obe·di·ent | \ ō-ˈbē-dē-ənt

How to pronounce obedient (audio)

, ə- \

Definition of obedient

: 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

Other Words from obedient Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about obedient

Keep scrolling for more

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 This underlying structure, to which nature itself is at once oblivious and obedient, belongs quite as much to mysticism as to mathematics. — Karl Ove Knausgaard, The New Yorker, "The Slowness of Literature and the Shadow of Knowledge," 6 Nov. 2019 The wary and vicious wolf becomes the friendly and obedient dog. — John Morrissey, Quartz, "A chance encounter between a fruit fly and a pail of milk gave us cheese," 11 Dec. 2019 Ephraim is wary at first, then obedient, then angry; what does all this busywork serve, other than Thomas’s own ego? — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, "Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe dance macabre in masterful drama The Lighthouse," 17 Oct. 2019 But the dreams also depict women—reduced to obedient wives and child-bearers in Nazi propaganda—seeking greater social authority. — Mireille Juchau, The New Yorker, "How Dreams Change Under Authoritarianism," 7 Nov. 2019 We are told its launch is imminent, but who, other than the most obedient servants, is anticipating this with excitement? — James Macmillan, National Review, "Scottish Nationalists Are Hijacking Music to Push an Independence Agenda," 29 Oct. 2019 Under Erdogan, Turkey is no longer the obedient NATO ally guarding the alliance's southern flank against Russian expansionism. — Tim Lister, CNN, "No longer the obedient NATO ally, Erdogan floats nuclear option," 21 Oct. 2019 The sequel employs three narrators, most notably, Aunt Lydia, a matriarchal tyrant who trains women to be obedient and passive handmaids. — Ron Charles, Washington Post, "Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo share the 2019 Booker Prize," 14 Oct. 2019 Dogs are highly companionable, obedient, and playful animals. — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Our beloved pets leave paw prints on our hearts," 21 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obedient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about obedient

Dictionary Entries near obedient

Statistics for obedient

Last Updated

18 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Obedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obedient. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

bootless

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.

discretely discreetly

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.