obey

The word “obey” means to do what someone in authority tells you to do. In plain terms, to do as you're told, or follow a rule or law.

“Obey” is pronounced oh-BAY (/oʊˈbeɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “obey” used in a sentence: “Soldiers are trained to obey orders instantly.”

Words with a similar meaning to “obey” include hearken, mind, accede, assent, acquiesce and comply.

The opposite of “obey” — its antonyms — are disobey, defy, rebel, resist and violate.

“Obey” is a verb.

The word “obey” comes from Latin. From Old French obeir, from Latin oboedire — literally "to listen toward," from ob- + audire ("to hear"). Related to audient.

“Obey” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Obey typically implies doing what someone in authority tells you to do, often carrying a sense of submission to a person or command, while comply more broadly means acting in accordance with a rule, request, or regulation. Comply can sound more neutral or bureaucratic, whereas obey often implies a personal authority figure.

You can obey both a person in authority and a rule, law, or instinct, since the word covers following instructions from someone as well as adhering to laws or natural impulses. For example, one can obey a parent's instructions or obey traffic laws.

Obey specifically involves doing what someone in authority instructs or adhering to a rule or law, often implying a duty to comply, while follow is broader and can mean simply going along with an example, trend, or set of directions without any element of authority. All obeying involves a kind of following, but not all following involves obeying.