Meaning & use
obey
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To do what a person in authority tells you to do.
Grammar: Takes a direct object: obey the teacher, not obey to the teacher. Can also be used without an object: the dog obeyed.
Patterns
- obey someone
- obey an order
The soldiers obeyed the general without question.
The puppy finally learned to obey when called.
Children should obey their parents when crossing the road.
verbtransitive
To follow a rule, law or instruction as required.
Grammar: Takes an object such as a law or rule: obey the speed limit.
Patterns
- obey a rule
- obey the law
Drivers must obey the speed limit.
Citizens are expected to obey the law.
Players who do not obey the rules are sent off.
verbtransitivetechnical
To act according to a natural law or physical principle, as scientific things do.
Grammar: Used in science: objects obey gravity.
Patterns
- obey a law of physics
Every falling object obeys gravity.
Gases obey simple laws when temperature stays constant.
The planets obey the laws of motion.
Word forms
| third person singular | obeys |
|---|---|
| past tense | obeyed |
| past participle | obeyed |
| -ing form | obeying |
Common combinations
- obey orders
- Soldiers must obey orders.
- obey the law
- Most people obey the law out of habit.
- blindly obey
- He blindly obeyed the rules even when they made no sense.
- obey a command
- The dog obeyed the command to sit.
- refuse to obey
- She refused to obey the unfair order.
- obey the rules
- Everyone must obey the rules of the pool.
Synonyms and how they differ
- comply
- Comply is more formal and often used for regulations, while obey works with people and rules alike.
- follow
- Follow is milder and need not involve authority, while obey suggests being told what to do.
- heed
- Heed means to pay attention to advice or a warning, which is gentler than obey.
- submit
- Submit stresses giving in to a stronger power, while obey simply means doing as told.
Opposites
Word family
- obedient adjective
- willing to do as told
- obedience noun
- the act of doing what you are told
- obediently adverb
- in a manner that follows orders
- disobey verb
- to fail to do as told
- disobedient adjective
- refusing to follow rules
Commonly confused: obey or abide? obey or obey vs. obeisance?
obey vs abide
You abide by rules (with by), while you obey rules directly.
obey vs obey vs. obeisance
Obeisance is a formal gesture of respect, such as a bow, not just following orders.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Obey takes a direct object without a preposition. The other options add an unnecessary preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “obey”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.