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
Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton The Bridgerton family's third son, Colin, is enjoying his role this season as a dutiful husband and father to Elliot, the next Lord Featherington.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Long shielded by her husband from the nitty-gritty of a figuratively and often physically dirty industry, Cami must transform herself from dutiful wife to energy executive powerhouse.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
With charming Venus in your subtle 12th house nudging lucky Jupiter in your dutiful 6th house, your time will be best spent in quiet, practical actions.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Long shielded by her husband from the nitty-gritty of a figuratively and often physically dirty industry, Cami must transform herself from dutiful wife to energy executive powerhouse.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
With charming Venus in your subtle 12th house nudging lucky Jupiter in your dutiful 6th house, your time will be best spent in quiet, practical actions.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dutiful
Adjective
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Your 2nd house also supports practical purchases, which is a great reminder to make durable, budget-respectful choices over flashy upgrades.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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Friends are generally respectful to civil conversation.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dutiful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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