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obey

verb
\ ō-ˈbā How to pronounce obey (audio) , ə-\
obeyed; obeying

Definition of obey

transitive verb

1 : to follow the commands or guidance of He always obeys his parents.
2 : to conform to or comply with obey an order Falling objects obey the laws of physics.

intransitive verb

: to behave obediently The dog does not always obey.
Other Words from obey Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about obey

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Other Words from obey

obeyer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for obey

obey and mind mean to do what a person says. obey is used when someone quickly yields to the authority of another or follows a rule or law. Obey your parents. Obey all traffic laws. mind is used like obey especially when speaking to children but it often means paying attention to the wishes or commands of another. Mind what I said about talking.

Examples of obey in a Sentence

His dog has learned to obey several commands. He always obeys his parents. The children must obey the rules. The children must learn to obey.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Wheeling Police Department spokesman Philip Stahl has said the driver of the bus was cited for the overweight vehicle and failing to obey a traffic control device. — USA TODAY, "Moon trees, moon film, monk honored: News from around our 50 states," 23 July 2019 According to the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office, Lewis was westbound on County Highway NN in the Town of Cedarburg around 5:30 p.m. when he was struck by a northbound driver who failed to obey a stop sign on Granville Road. — Marisa Peryer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Cedarburg man killed in Town of Cedarburg crash," 4 July 2019 Randi Ruzzo, 30, of 108 Preston Ave. in Cranston was charged with driving under the influence of liquor or drugs and received citations for refusing to submit to a chemical test and failing to obey a stop sign, according to police. — Maria Lovato, BostonGlobe.com, "Rhode Island man arrested for OUI after crash with police cruiser," 4 July 2019 The woman was charged with malicious destruction of property less than $1,000, failure to obey reasonable/lawful order and disorderly conduct. — Washington Post, "Southern Maryland crime report," 15 Aug. 2019 Andrew Johnson faces charges of murder, manslaughter and failure to obey a lawful general order, all violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. — The Washington Post, Twin Cities, "Fellow Marine charged in Minnesotan’s fatal shooting at D.C. barracks," 1 Aug. 2019 The driver was taken to the hospital for evaluation and later charged with failure to obey traffic control devices, failure to control and endangering children. — Cheryl Higley, cleveland.com, "Woman gets stuck after driving into construction zone: Bay Village Police Blotter," 25 July 2019 Meyers was arrested in May on charges of trespassing, failure to obey a lawful police order and disorderly conduct after deputies tried to serve a banning letter to him. — Aegis Staff Report, baltimoresun.com, "Police make arrest in July 4 shooting of Edgewood teen," 8 July 2019 Benjamin Andrade, 45, was charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle and failure to obey traffic signals, among other charges, police said. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "East Hartford driver charged with hitting, killing 77-year-old man in Hartford," 20 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obey.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of obey

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for obey

Middle English obeien, borrowed from Anglo-French obeir, going back to Latin oboedīre, from ob- "toward, in the direction of" + -oedīre, probably unstressed form (with -oe- of uncertain origin) of audīre "to hear" — more at ob-, audible entry 1

Note: The -oe- in oboedīre is peculiar both because it is not the expected result of -au- in a non-initial syllable (the regular outcome is -ū-) and because -oe- is in any case rare non-initially. Various attempts have been made to account for the irregularity. Reflecting earlier suggestions, Michiel de Vaan hypothesizes pre-Latin *ób-awizdijō > *obowizdijō > *oboizdijō (rounding of a before w, which is then lost, prior to the weakening of a to u) > oboediō (with z blocking monophthongization of -oi- to -ū- before succumbing to cluster reduction) (see Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008). As an alternative to assumptions of questionable phonetic change, it has also been suggested that a base other than audīre is at issue (Michael Weiss suggests *ob-bhoi̯diō, from a nominal derivative of the base of fīdere "to trust" [see faith entry 1]; see Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, Ann Arbor, 2009, p. 120).

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More Definitions for obey

obey

verb
How to pronounce obey (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of obey

: to do what someone tells you to do or what a rule, law, etc., says you must do

See the full definition for obey in the English Language Learners Dictionary

obey

verb
\ ō-ˈbā How to pronounce obey (audio) \
obeyed; obeying

Kids Definition of obey

1 : to follow the commands or guidance of Dogs are trained to obey their masters.
2 : to comply with : carry out obey an order obey the rules

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More from Merriam-Webster on obey

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with obey

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for obey

Spanish Central: Translation of obey

Nglish: Translation of obey for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of obey for Arabic Speakers

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