obey

verb

(transitive) To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.

(intransitive) To do as one is told.

(obsolete, intransitive) To be obedient, compliant (to a given law, restriction etc.).

Roots

audire-audi · Latin · to hear

Synonyms for obey

complyv heedv followv acquiescev fulfillv submitv observev

Synonyms & related words for obey

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of obey — including comply, heed, follow, acquiesce, fulfill, submit. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to obey

Explore words related to obey — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include nonobedience, disobey, abide, obedient, obedience, noncomplying, obediently, obsequent. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for obey

Common synonyms for obey include comply, heed, follow, acquiesce, fulfill, submit, observe — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does obey come from?

The word obey breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -audi, from Latin audire (“to hear”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.