as in respectful
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the family showed a dutiful deference to their minister when he came to dinner
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Recent Examples of dutiful
Like Becky Sharp, the willful, wicked lead of William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, Heidi rolled her eyes at her dutiful counterpart.
—
Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
But the audience in the Dolby Theater had too much affection for, among other films, One Battle After Another and Sinners for this year’s Oscars to ever feel dutiful.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
The most dutiful of sons, Father wrote many long letters to his parents, some of which arrived scissored into scraps by military censors.
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
Teddy, meanwhile, has gone all in on his devotion to Jonathan, while still playing the dutiful son for Roper.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
But the audience in the Dolby Theater had too much affection for, among other films, One Battle After Another and Sinners for this year’s Oscars to ever feel dutiful.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
The most dutiful of sons, Father wrote many long letters to his parents, some of which arrived scissored into scraps by military censors.
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
Teddy, meanwhile, has gone all in on his devotion to Jonathan, while still playing the dutiful son for Roper.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dutiful
Adjective
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Visitors are quickly welcomed into this respectful rhythm, and that’s where Costa Rica’s transformative power begins.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
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Jeremiah is a friendly, affectionate and respectful teen who is known for his polite manners and eagerness to help others.—
The Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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 Feb. 2026
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And many advocates are promoting a vision of public health that’s less dependent on mandates and appeals to authority, and more deferent to individuals’ beliefs.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dutiful. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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