as in deferent
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the children were remarkably respectful while in the president's office
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of respectful
Channel that fire into direct, respectful proposals.
—
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Crowds of bird fans carrying smartphones and cameras are craning daily for a look at its silly walk, while mostly maintaining a respectful distance.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe, and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
Excellent service—non-invasive but helpful and respectful.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for respectful
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Crowds of bird fans carrying smartphones and cameras are craning daily for a look at its silly walk, while mostly maintaining a respectful distance.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe, and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
Excellent service—non-invasive but helpful and respectful.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for respectful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respectful
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Is there a polite way to ask her to address this, short of shouting or splashing?—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Your polite fences invite stronger, healthier collaborations in the future.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But while the Supreme Court has historically been deferential to presidents on immigration issues, defining who is an American by birth is different, according to longtime immigration law scholar Stephen Yale-Loehr.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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At the start of the season, there was a deferential aspect to Jakucionis’ play, including his shooting.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Newman often seems to be reciting his lyrics, even incanting them, reverent and repetitive.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
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Nakamura, who works almost exclusively in his native Japan, smooths over those divisions, creating reverent, porous structures that open to the landscape or curl in on themselves in repose.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Respectful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respectful. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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