adjective

obedient

uh-BEE-deernt

adjective

Willing to follow instructions or do what someone in authority says.

"The dog was so obedient it sat the moment she gave the command."

"Employees were expected to be quietly obedient, not to question decisions."

How to Use Obedient

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDoing as you're told, without arguing.

Common pairings

obedient child obedient dog blindly obedient

more obedient comparative, obedients plural, most obedient superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The dog was so _____ it sat the moment she gave the command.

From Old French obedient, from Latin oboediens, "obeying" — from the same root as obey.

disobedient dominant argumentative breachy defiant contumacious froward immorigerous

perverse argumentative toward dominant docile submissive defiant stubborn

orient ancient patient salient ambient lenient nutrient gradient sentient impatient transient recipient

disobedient dominant argumentative breachy defiant contumacious froward immorigerous perverse toward docile submissive