obey

verb

\ ō-ˈbā

, ə-\

obeyed; obeying

Definition of obey

transitive verb

1 : to follow the commands or guidance of He always obeys his parents.

2 : to conform to or comply with obey an order Falling objects obey the laws of physics.

intransitive verb

: to behave obediently The dog does not always obey.

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

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for obey

obey and mind mean to do what a person says. obey is used when someone quickly yields to the authority of another or follows a rule or law. Obey your parents. Obey all traffic laws. mind is used like obey especially when speaking to children but it often means paying attention to the wishes or commands of another. Mind what I said about talking.

Examples of obey in a Sentence

His dog has learned to obey several commands. He always obeys his parents. The children must obey the rules. The children must learn to obey.

Recent Examples on the Web

What is certain is that Coltrane was obeying no one’s muse but his own, and that sparks were flying as a result. — David Weininger, BostonGlobe.com, "An incendiary final tour for Miles and Coltrane, and the sparks fly," 22 Mar. 2018 When their mother gave an instruction, George and Charlotte happily obeyed. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Is Reportedly Organizing Swimming Races for Prince George and Princess Charlotte," 25 Feb. 2019 True architecture obeyed the Seven Lamps of Sacrifice, Truth, Power, Beauty, Life, Memory and Obedience. — Tristram Hunt, WSJ, "Elegy for the Floating City," 25 Jan. 2019 Damage must be controlled, and laws must be obeyed. — Justin Chang, latimes.com, "How the dazzling, overstuffed ‘Incredibles 2’ holds up a cracked mirror to present-day reality," 4 July 2018 While refusing to stop, Roberts obeyed all traffic laws, according to Deputy White. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "He craved a soft drink — and that could put him in prison," 19 June 2018 Or because such an order might not be obeyed and lead to a wave of resignations. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "Save Yourself, Mr. President," 13 Aug. 2018 Some will follow pedestrian signals, some will obey traffic lights, and some will do none of the above. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Electric scooters’ sudden invasion of American cities, explained," 7 Sep. 2018 Riders on either brand of scooter are encouraged to obey traffic laws, avoid sidewalks, wear a helmet and park responsibly to keep other pedestrians safe and city governments happy. — Ethan May, Indianapolis Star, "Another dockless scooter service launching Saturday in Indianapolis," 22 June 2018

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

History and Etymology for obey

Middle English obeien, borrowed from Anglo-French obeir, going back to Latin oboedīre, from ob- "toward, in the direction of" + -oedīre, probably unstressed form (with -oe- of uncertain origin) of audīre "to hear" — more at ob-, audible entry 1

Note: The -oe- in oboedīre is peculiar both because it is not the expected result of -au- in a non-initial syllable (the regular outcome is -ū-) and because -oe- is any case rare non-initially. Various attempts have been made to account for the irregularity. Reflecting earlier suggestions, Michiel de Vaan hypothesizes pre-Latin *ób-awizdijō > *obowizdijō > *oboizdijō (rounding of a before w, which is then lost, prior to the weakening of a to u) > oboediō (with z blocking monophthongization of -oi- to -ū- before succumbing to cluster reduction) (see Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008). As an alternative to assumptions of questionable phonetic change, it has also been suggested that a base other than audīre is at issue (Michael Weiss suggests *ob-bhoi̯diō, from a nominal derivative of the base of fīdere "to trust" [see faith entry 1]; see Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, Ann Arbor, 2009, p. 120).