obey

Meaning

1. (transitive) To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
2. (intransitive) To do as one is told.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To be obedient, compliant (to a given law, restriction etc.).

Synonyms

follow

comply

observe

listen

comply with

hear

submit

conform

heed

abide

abide by

respect

submit to

keep

yield

obedient

surrender

agree

pay attention to

believe

serve

copy

bend

go along with

bow to

be submissive

yield to

honour

accompany

worship

be attentive

fawning

accede

pay attention

listen to

mind

imitate

consent

aides

agree with

adapt oneself

carry out

care

capitulate

agree to

act up

grant

give in

give credence to

believe in

Translations

gehorchen

obéir

obedecer

ubbidire

gehoorzamen

obbedire

befolgen

obedecer

υπακούω

obeir

hören

audio

folgen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əʊˈbeɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: obeyen

In summary

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).