obey

Meaning

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

comply

observe

comply with

submit to

yield

pay attention to

listen to

yield to

be submissive

be attentive

subject to

take notice of

execute an order

adhere to

be guided by

be proper

be subject to

defer to

fall in line

give heed to

pay heed to

take advice

give assent

hearken to

take the advice of

be swayed by

fear

😨

listen to something

act according

listen and obey

take advice of

adapt oneself

agree to

be convinced

believe in

give credence to

in compliance with

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əʊˈbeɪ/

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).

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