Dictionary

oblige en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əˈblaɪd͡ʒ/
• /əˈbliːd͡ʒ/ (obsolete)
• /ɒˈbliːd͡ʒ/ (obsolete)
• (UK) audio

Etymology

From Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, obliger, from Latin obligō, obligāre, from ob- + ligō. Doublet of obligate, taken straight from Latin.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means.
   • Your carelessness obliges firmness on my part.
   • I am obliged to report to the police station every week.
   • Tho' he was some time awake before me, yet did he not offer to disturb a repose he had given me so much occasion for; but on my first stirring, which was not till past ten o'clock, I was oblig'd to endure one more trial of his manhood. 1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC:
2. (intransitive, transitive) To do (someone) a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation).
   • He obliged me by not parking his car in the drive.
   • In the mean time I have another trouble to give you, if you will oblige me in it; and that is to get me a sight of the famous Orrery, which I have heard you and others so often speak of; and which I think was made by Mr. Rowley, the famous Mathematical Instrument-Maker. 1719, John Harris, Astronomical dialogues between a gentleman and a lady, page 151:
   • The singer obliged(us) with an encore.
   • They also asked to dive as a buddy pair rather than with an instructor. Considering their previous experience of more than 80 logged dives each, the crew obliged. 2026 July 28, Nicholas Muhoro, “The Open Water True Story: How Tom and Eileen Lonergan Were Left Behind at Sea”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 29 Jul 2026:
3. (transitive) To cause somebody to feel indebted.
   • I am much obliged to you for your recent help.

Forms

Deriveds

reoblige · obligable · misoblige · obligement · disoblige

Relateds

obligate · obligation · obligee · much obliged · obligor · rely · liable · noblesse oblige · obligatory

Synonyms

necessitate · accommodate

Translations (65)

ca obligar (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · cmn 强迫 (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ja 世話になる (to be indebted to someone) · el υποχρεώνω (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ja サービスする (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · fr imposer (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · be абавяза́ць (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · uk зобов'яза́ти (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · es serviciar (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · nl verplichten (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · it forzare (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · nn forplikte (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · bg правя услуга (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · fr rendre service à (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · de einen Gefallen tun (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · pt obrigar (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · es favorecer (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · ru быть обя́занным (to be indebted to someone) · wa oblidjî (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · hy պարտավորեցնել (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ja 義務付ける (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · gl facer favor (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · hu lekötelez (to be indebted to someone) · es complacer (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · it costringere (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · bg задължавам (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · gl constrinxir (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · bg услужвам (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · fi pakottaa (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ro obliga (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · es obligar (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ru обя́зывать (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · fr être redevable à (to be indebted to someone) · ja 世話をする (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · it obbligare (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · fr obliger (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · fi tehdä palvelus (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · hy պարտադրել (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · nb forplikte (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · gl obrigar (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · hu kötelez (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ja 恩義がある (to be indebted to someone) · it fare un favore (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · uk зобов'я́зувати (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · el είμαι ευγνώμων (to be indebted to someone) · de verpflichten (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · be абавя́зваць (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · pl zobowiązać (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · fi olla velassa (to be indebted to someone) · ru де́лать одолже́ние (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · cmn 幫忙 /帮忙 (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · sv förplikta (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ru сде́лать одолже́ние (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · bg услужа (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · gl facer o favor (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · fr obliger (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · pl zobowiązywać (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · ru обяза́ть (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · da forpligte (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · bg задължен съм (to be indebted to someone) · it indebitarsi (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · nl plezieren (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation)) · fi velvoittaa (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · gl forzar (to constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means) · nl een plezier doen (to do someone a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation))