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
The audience at the Grand Palais rewarded Hüller’s performance as the dutiful daughter of a post-war German literary genius with a 5-minute standing ovation, by Variety‘s count.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 2026
But overall, the dutiful Queen seemed to loosen up in the more casual America.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
Ever the dutiful Pearl Girl, Daisy takes Agnes to the dentist to have her tooth fixed.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Cronin neither approached the property like a dutiful steward, nor as a fanboy genuflecting before a sacred horror text.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 2026
But overall, the dutiful Queen seemed to loosen up in the more casual America.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
Ever the dutiful Pearl Girl, Daisy takes Agnes to the dentist to have her tooth fixed.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Cronin neither approached the property like a dutiful steward, nor as a fanboy genuflecting before a sacred horror text.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dutiful
Adjective
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The Town of Kersey remains committed to transparency, respectful public engagement, and the well-being of both residents and staff.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
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Everyone was very cordial, very respectful.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 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 1 Jun. 2026.
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