Synonyms of obedient

obedient

adjective

ō-ˈbē-dē-ənt 

as in docile

readily giving in to the command or authority of another

that boy is so obedient that he does everything the first time he is asked

Synonyms & Similar Words

• docile
• submissive
• compliant
• biddable
• restrained
• conformable
• tractable
• amenable
• meek
• gentle
• decorous
• controllable
• soft
• law-abiding
• dutiful
• repressed
• subordinate
• acquiescent
• obliging
• tame
• amiable
• servile
• subservient
• agreeable
• obsequious
• disciplined
• slavish
• governable
• orderly
• yielding
• surrendering
• duteous
• constrained
• fawning
• mannerly
• obeisant
• manageable
• trainable
• placable
• teachable
• mild
• inhibited
• kowtowing
• handleable
• disciplinable
• curbed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disobedient
• rebellious
• defiant
• contrary
• willful
• recalcitrant
• refractory
• insubordinate
• unruly
• wayward
• obstreperous
• contumacious
• restive
• noncompliant
• intractable
• rebel
• stubborn
• mutinous
• ungovernable
• obstinate
• untoward
• balky
• headstrong
• insurgent
• unyielding
• obdurate
• wild
• hardheaded
• peevish
• resistant
• uncontrollable
• mulish
• defiant
• dogged
• unmanageable
• froward
• unamenable
• perverse
• mischievous
• naughty
• incompliant
• bad
• disorderly
• self-willed
• pigheaded
• balky
• undisciplined
• errant
• insolent
• impudent
• dissident
• nonconformist
• disrespectful
• rude
• misbehaving
• impolite
• ill-bred
• ill-mannered

Synonym Chooser

How is the word obedient different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of obedient are amenable, docile, and tractable. While all these words mean "submissive to the will of another," obedient implies compliance with the demands or requests of one in authority.

obedient to the government

When is amenable a more appropriate choice than obedient?

The words amenable and obedient can be used in similar contexts, but amenable suggests a willingness to yield or cooperate because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open-mindedness.

amenable to new ideas

When is it sensible to use docile instead of obedient?

Although the words docile and obedient have much in common, docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance.

a docile child

Where would tractable be a reasonable alternative to obedient?

In some situations, the words tractable and obedient are roughly equivalent. However, tractable suggests having a character that permits easy handling or managing.

tractable animals

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of obedient

How might Infantino continue to profess neutrality while still clearly taking a side, pretending to listen to every voice while remaining obedient to only one? — Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026

These stories usually involve a woman shucking societal norms of being nice, pretty, and obedient. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026

Jonah used his three days in the fish’s belly to recommit to loving God and being obedient. — Kit Cornell Kurtz, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Apr. 2026

Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026