obedient

obedient — adjective

1. ready to act on the orders or wishes of a parent, teacher, ruler, or other perso

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

ready to act on the orders or wishes of a parent, teacher, ruler, or other person who has power over you, without arguing or refusing.

Example

Mei trained her puppy to be obedient and sit before every meal.

predicative use after 'be'

The young prince was an obedient son who never questioned his mother's wishes.

attributive use before a noun

Common collocations
  • perfectly obedient
  • blindly obedient
  • obedient child
  • obedient dog
  • obedient servant
Synonyms
  • compliant

    more formal; suggests going along with rules without resistance

  • well-behaved

    describes good conduct generally, not specifically following orders

  • dutiful

    stresses sense of moral duty rather than simple obedience

  • submissive

    stronger and often negative; implies giving up your own will

Antonyms
  • disobedient

    direct opposite; refusing to follow orders

  • rebellious

    actively resists authority, not just ignoring it

  • defiant

    openly challenges authority

Grammar Patterns

obedient + to + noun

Usage Note

Often used about children, students, soldiers, and pets. Carries a positive tone in some cultures but can sound critical (suggesting blind compliance) when applied to adults in everyday situations.

Common Mistakes

My dog is obedient with me.
My dog is obedient to me.
the preposition is 'to', not 'with'.
She obedient her parents.
She obeys her parents.
'obedient' is an adjective; the verb is 'obey'.
Idioms

your obedient servant

idiom

A formal way to end a letter, showing respect to the reader.

I remain, sir, your obedient servant, John Smith.

The letter ended with 'your obedient servant' and a signature.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five describe people (or animals) who do what they are asked to do, but the angle differs. 'Obedient' is the everyday word: it focuses on following the orders of a clear authority figure such as a parent, teacher, or commander. 'Compliant' is more formal and is often used in workplaces, hospitals, or legal settings — patients are compliant with treatment, companies compliant with rules. 'Dutiful' adds a moral flavour: a dutiful daughter helps her elderly father out of love and responsibility, not just because she was told to. 'Submissive' is much stronger and usually negative; it suggests giving up your own will. 'Well-behaved' simply describes good manners overall. Compare: 'an obedient soldier salutes', 'a dutiful soldier writes home', 'a submissive soldier never argues'.

obedient ↗compliant ↗dutifulsubmissivewell-behaved ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Entered English in the 1200s through Old French from a Latin word built on the verb meaning 'to listen to' or 'pay attention to'. The original Latin sense connected hearing closely to following — to truly listen to someone in authority was to act on what they said. That link between listening and following is still felt in modern English: an obedient person 'hears' what authority asks and does it.