obey en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /əʊˈbeɪ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /əˈbeɪ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ɵˈbe(j)/ (South-Asia)
- /əˈbeɪ/ (General-American)
- /oʊˈbeɪ/ (General-American)
Etymology
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).
Meanings
-
(transitive) To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
obey the rules
obey your boss
-
(intransitive) To do as one is told.
Soldiers are trained to obey.
-
(intransitive, obsolete) 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 [...].
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| obeyed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| obeyed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| obeys | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| obeying | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Antonyms
resist · violate · defy · rebel · disobey
Deriveds
unobeyed · obeyingly · obeyable · tremble and obey · obeyer · obeyance · misobey · unobeying
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
accept · serve · abide · agree · concur · consent · abide by
Relateds
meet · fulfill · carry out · observe · command · keep · obedient · pay attention · adhere · obedience · follow · obeisance · instruction
Synonyms
conform · comply · submit · acquiesce · obey · mind · hearken · accede · yield · assent
Translations (154)
yi פֿאָלגן (to do as one is told) · pam pamintuan (to do as ordered by) · pl przestrzegać (to do as ordered by) · uk слу́хатися (to do as one is told) · pl słuchać się (to do as one is told) · ca obeir (to do as ordered by) · pdt jehorchen (to do as ordered by) · ko 복종하다 (to do as ordered by) · ang hīeran (to do as one is told) · la audio (to be obedient, compliant) · la audio (to do as ordered by) · gl obedecer (to do as ordered by) · hu engedelmeskedik (to do as one is told) · bg покоря́вам се (to do as ordered by) · uk підкори́тися (to do as ordered by) · la audio (to do as one is told) · lld fé al sënn (to do as ordered by) · bg подчиня́вам се (to do as ordered by) · hu tiszteletben tart (to do as ordered by) · kea obi (to do as one is told) · sk poslúchnuť (to do as ordered by) · pl być posłusznym (to be obedient, compliant) · la oboedio (to do as ordered by) · it obbedire (to be obedient, compliant) · ja 服従する (to do as ordered by) · uz itoat etmoq (to do as ordered by) · mi whakarongo (to do as one is told) · tyz cạ ti̱nh (to do as one is told) · izh kuulla (to do as ordered by) · lld ulghé (to do as one is told) · ro a se supune (to do as ordered by) · grc πείθομαι (to do as one is told) · my နားထောင် (to do as ordered by) · pms ubidì (to do as ordered by) · fr obtempérer (to do as ordered by) · nb lystre (to do as ordered by) · it assolvere (to be obedient, compliant) · fa اطاعت کردن (to do as ordered by) · tr saymak (to do as ordered by) · be падпара́дкавацца (to do as ordered by) · km ស្ដាប់ (to do as ordered by) · hu engedelmeskedik (to do as ordered by) · hu követ (to do as ordered by) · hu szót fogad (to do as one is told) · kea uví (to do as ordered by) · ru покори́ться (to do as ordered by) · it obbedire (to do as ordered by) · pl być posłusznym (to do as one is told) · bg покоря́вам се (to be obedient, compliant) · ur اطاعت کرنا (to do as ordered by) · nb adlyde (to do as one is told) · eo obei (to do as ordered by) · be слу́хацца (to do as one is told) · mi ū (to be obedient, compliant) · arz طاوع (to do as ordered by) · qu kasukuy (to do as ordered by) · th เชื่อฟัง (to do as ordered by) · ka გაგონება (to do as ordered by) · ka დამორჩილება (to do as ordered by) · cs být v souladu (to be obedient, compliant) · sk poslúchať (to do as ordered by) · kea obi (to do as ordered by) · ln tósa (to do as ordered by) · ru покоря́ться (to do as ordered by) · ga géill do (to do as ordered by) · nb adlyde (to do as ordered by) · la obaudio (to do as ordered by) · fi totella (to do as one is told) · ru подчини́ться (to do as ordered by) · kea uví (to be obedient, compliant) · be пакара́цца (to do as ordered by) · be падпарадко́ўвацца (to do as ordered by) · mi whakarongo (to do as ordered by) · izh hoolia (to do as ordered by) · lld fé al sënn (to do as one is told) · es obedecer (to do as ordered by) · km ស្ដាប់បង្គាប់ (to do as ordered by) · no adlyde (to do as one is told) · lld ulghé (to do as ordered by) · ar أَطَاعَ (to do as ordered by) · grc ὑπακούω (to do as ordered by) · hi आज्ञापालन (to do as ordered by) · got 𐌿𐍆𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to do as ordered by) · nl gehoorzamen (to do as ordered by) · ml അനുസരിക്കുക (to be obedient, compliant) · pt obedecer (to do as ordered by) · ja 従う (to do as ordered by) · yi פֿאָלגן (to do as ordered by) · hi आज्ञापालन (to do as one is told) · lo ເຊື່ອຟັງ (to do as ordered by) · fi totella (to do as ordered by) · mi mau (to do as ordered by) · la oboedio (to do as one is told) · my ပန်ရွက် (to do as ordered by) · ru слу́шаться (to do as one is told) · mi ū (to do as ordered by) · no være lydhør (to do as one is told) · la pareo (to do as ordered by) · ja 言いなりになる (to do as one is told) · sw kutii (to do as ordered by) · it conformarsi (to be obedient, compliant) · sv lyda (to do as one is told) · cmn 服從 /服从 (to do as ordered by) · tr itaat etmek (to do as one is told) · es acatar (to be obedient, compliant) · de befolgen (to do as one is told) · es atenerse (to be obedient, compliant) · nb lystre (to do as one is told) · hi आज्ञा मानना (to do as ordered by) · njo-jgl anga (to do as ordered by) · cs řídit se (to do as one is told) · vi phục tùng (to do as ordered by) · cs poslouchat (to do as ordered by) · bg слу́шам (to do as one is told) · cs podřídit se (to do as one is told) · uk підкоря́тися (to do as ordered by) · kea uví (to do as one is told) · kea obi (to be obedient, compliant) · ml അനുസരിക്കുക (to do as one is told) · vi tuân theo (to do as ordered by) · hu betart (to do as ordered by) · es obedecer (to do as one is told) · be пакары́цца (to do as ordered by) · fr obéir (to do as ordered by) · om abboomamuu (to do as ordered by) · az itaət etmək (to do as ordered by) · mn захирагдах (to do as ordered by) · da lyde (to do as ordered by) · ml അനുസരിക്കുക (to do as ordered by) · la obaudio (to do as one is told) · ru подчиня́ться (to do as ordered by) · ru повинова́ться (to do as ordered by) · cu послоушати (to do as ordered by) · de gehorchen (to do as ordered by) · fi noudattaa (to do as ordered by) · el υπακούω (to do as ordered by) · ang hīeran (to do as ordered by) · da lystre (to do as ordered by) · tg итоат кардан (to do as ordered by) · it ubbidire (to do as ordered by) · da adlyde (to do as ordered by) · hy հնազանդվել (to do as ordered by) · vi vâng lời (to do as one is told) · mi ū (to do as one is told) · cy ufuddhau (to do as ordered by) · fur ubidî (to do as ordered by) · uk кори́тися (to do as ordered by) · nb lyde (to do as ordered by) · ru послу́шаться (to do as one is told) · sv lyda (to do as ordered by) · hi आज्ञाकारी (to be obedient, compliant) · gsw folge (to do as one is told) · nn lyda (to do as ordered by) · cmn 遵守 (to do as ordered by)