as in deferent
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the children were remarkably respectful while in the president's office
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of respectful
Despite the pettiness, my wife has remained respectful.
—
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Misinformation grabs clicks, but clear, respectful communication can still draw in the hesitant and undecided.
—Aron Solomon, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Sherman spoke about that delicate balancing act of being in tune with pop culture while still remaining respectful.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 13 May 2025
But officially, the Sox are playing it cool and trying to be respectful.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for respectful
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Misinformation grabs clicks, but clear, respectful communication can still draw in the hesitant and undecided.
—Aron Solomon, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Sherman spoke about that delicate balancing act of being in tune with pop culture while still remaining respectful.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 13 May 2025
But officially, the Sox are playing it cool and trying to be respectful.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for respectful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respectful
Adjective
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The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.—
Carlie Procell,
USA TODAY,
25 Nov. 2024
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The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2023
Adjective
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Instead, Storm reached the bottom rope to a polite pop from Glendale.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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Sometimes the threat of a fine can produce better results than a polite request.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Of course, Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron is still a reverent work, leaving out a few messier strands of the man’s life that Miyazaki-heads might be curious about.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2024
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Taylor’s casket, covered with an American flag, was taken through reverent procession in Bell County on May 13 from Temple to the funeral home in Copperas Cove, KXXV reported.—
Kate Linderman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Judges tend to be highly deferential to the privacy claims raised by these educational institutions.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
10 May 2025
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Newsom’s deferential tone toward far-right guests like Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage—including agreeing with Kirk’s stance on banning transgender athletes from women’s sports—has alienated progressive allies and LGBTQ+ advocates, undermining his reputation as a champion of LGBTQ+ rights[1][7][9].—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Respectful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respectful. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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