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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obedient The Golem was a powerful, obedient protector, performing tasks and defending the ghetto. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025 Ever the obedient younger brother, Norio did as requested and handed over the pen. Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 The Guthrie family cowers in obedient fear of its brooding patriarch (Peter Mullan). Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025 Catholics will remain formally obedient to one pope and one episcopal hierarchy. Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018 See All Example Sentences for obedient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedient
Adjective
  • To be clear, there is no sense that Rondón and Ugás are defending the old guard or suggesting that a docile, starving population pinioned under the grip of a dictatorship is big-picture preferable to a rebellious insurgency.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
  • At this point of the pregnancy, cat moms are also very friendly and often more docile than usual.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Even literary heroes had been growing more submissive, Whyte claimed.
    David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Less than a year after Poor Things — and a mere three months since that movie won multiple Oscars — Lanthimos reunited with Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Margaret Qualley for a demented triptych organized around dominant-submissive relationships.
    A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Often, the websites where people end up buying non-ACA compliant insurance have the names and logos of insurers on them.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Secure and compliant across jurisdictions.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisers can use biddable automation to buy ads in real-time against live programming, which is especially critical for live sports.
    Sara Fischer, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Disney is boosting its advertising capabilities for live events, with third-party partnerships, a new certification program for live sports and entertainment as well as biddable deals for live sports.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • That doesn’t explain the physical dominance that feels more restrained these days.
    Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Using restrained color palettes, natural materials, and touches of drama, Lind and her team at her eponymous firm bring out their clients’ unique personal styles to create homes perfectly suited to their lives.
    Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Is this suit more conformable than the costume from Revenge of the Sith?
    Ryan Parker, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2022
  • Parker details that after a few meetings and sample swapping with the agency, Macy’s picked up her collection and the pair have dedicated its mission to approach size inclusive fashion in a fun yet conformable way.
    Nandi Howard, Essence, 18 May 2021
Adjective
  • Until recently, their goal has been to attack the more tractable pure delivery market with a custom delivery robot about half the size of traditional cars.
    Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • These prove out Fielder’s intuition that aviation safety depends on candid cockpit conversation, a particularly high-stakes—and, crucially, perhaps tractable—example of Fielder’s over-all preoccupation with the fear and anxiety that inhibits genuine communication.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • But recent polling suggests voters are amenable to Democrats’ moves.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The nonprofit seemed amenable to the request.
    Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Obedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedient. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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