obey
English · Thesaurus
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obey
- /əʊˈbeɪ/ UK
- /əˈbeɪ/ UK
- /oʊˈbeɪ/ US
- /əˈbeɪ/ US
- /ɵˈbe(j)/ South Asia
Rhymes with -eɪ
Where it comes from
From Middle English obeyen, from Anglo-Norman obeir, obeier et al., Old French obeir, from Latin oboediō (also obēdiō (“to listen to, harken, usually in extended sense, obey, be subject to, serve”)), from ob- (“before, near”) + audiō (“to hear”). Compare audient. In Latin, ob + audire would have been expected to become Classical Latin *obūdiō (compare in + claudō becoming inclūdō), but it has been theorized that the usual law court associations of the word for obeying encouraged a false archaism from ū to oe, to oboediō (compare Old Latin oinos → Classical Latin ūnus).
verb obeys · obeying · obeyed
- To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of. obey the rules
- To do as one is told. Soldiers are trained to obey.
- To be obedient, compliant (to a given law, restriction etc.). They were all taught by Triton, to obay / To the long raynes, at her commaundement [...].
Similar: hearken, mind, accede, assent, acquiesce, obey, comply, conform, submit, yield · Opposite: disobey, defy, rebel, resist, violate
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: obedience, comply, behave, fulfill, conform, respect, meet, respond, undergo, observance, observe, heed, submit, mind, abide, listen
Translations
Every language
verb to do as ordered by
| Español | obedecer |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 복종하다 bokjonghada |
| 日本語 | 従う shitagau, 服従する fukujū suru |
| 中文 | 服從 /服从 fúcóng, 遵守 zūnshǒu |
| हिन्दी | आज्ञा मानना ājñā mānnā, आज्ञापालन ājñāpālan |
| Kiswahili | kutii |
| Português | obedecer |
| Français | obéir, obtempérer |
| Deutsch | gehorchen |
| Italiano | obbedire, ubbidire |
| Ελληνικά | υπακούω ypakoúo |
| Română | a se supune |
| Русский | подчиня́ться podčinjátʹsja, подчини́ться podčinítʹsja, повинова́ться povinovátʹsja, покоря́ться pokorjátʹsja, покори́ться pokorítʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | phục tùng, tuân theo |
| العربية | أَطَاعَ ʔaṭāʕa |
verb to do as one is told
| Español | obedecer |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 言いなりになる iinari ni naru |
| हिन्दी | आज्ञापालन ājñāpālan |
| Deutsch | befolgen |
| Русский | слу́шаться slúšatʹsja, послу́шаться poslúšatʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | vâng lời |
Talk about this word "obey." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/obey. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. obey. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/obey "obey." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/obey.Cite this
@misc{obey_2026,
title = {obey},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/obey},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
