o ‧ bey /əʊˈbeɪ, ə- $ oʊ-, ə-/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ obey ≠ ↑ disobey ; noun : ↑ obedience ≠ ↑ disobedience ; adverb : ↑ obediently ≠ DISOBEDIENTLY ; adjective : ↑ obedient ≠ ↑ disobedient ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: obeir , from Latin oboedire , from audire 'to hear' ]
to do what someone in authority tells you to do, or what a law or rule says you must do OPP disobey :
The little boy made no effort to obey.
‘Sit!’ he said, and the dog obeyed him instantly.
obey an order/command
Soldiers are expected to obey orders without questioning them.
obey the law/rules
Failure to obey the law can lead to a large fine.
► Do not say ‘obey to someone/something'. Say obey someone/something : He refused to obey their orders (NOT obey to their orders).
REGISTER
Obey is used especially when talking about doing what laws or people in authority tell you to do. In everyday situations, people usually say do what somebody says :
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My husband never does what I say.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ obey the law/rules
She’s the sort of person who always obeys the rules.
▪ obey an order/command/instruction
The first duty of a soldier is to obey orders.
▪ an obligation to obey (=to have a duty to do something)
Citizens have an obligation to obey the law.
■ verbs
▪ must obey/have to obey
She felt she had to obey her father, even though she thought he was wrong.
▪ refuse to obey
Many people felt the law was unfair, and refused to obey it.
■ adverbs
▪ blindly obey (=to obey without asking any questions)
He looked terrified, but blindly obeyed.
▪ obey instantly/immediately
He expected his orders to be obeyed instantly.
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THESAURUS
▪ obey to do what someone in authority tells you to do, or what a law or rule says you must do:
You must obey a senior officer at all times.
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If everyone obeys the rules of the road, safety is much improved.
▪ do what somebody says especially spoken to do what someone has advised or ordered you to do. In informal and everyday situations, people usually say do what somebody says rather than obey :
I did what you said but the car still hasn’t started.
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My husband never does what I say.
▪ do what you are told/do as you are told to do what your parent or teacher says you must do – used especially about children:
At school, we expect the pupils to do what they are told.
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Do as you’re told and sit down.
▪ follow sb’s orders/instructions/advice to do what someone says you should do, or advises you to do:
You must follow your doctor’s orders.
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I followed the manufacturer’s instructions.
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I hope she’ll follow my advice.
▪ abide by something formal to accept and obey a rule, law, agreement etc:
Players have to abide by the rules of the game.
▪ respect formal to obey the law or customs of a place, even when you do not agree with them, because this is a necessary part of living in a society:
Smokers should respect the law, and only smoke in the privacy of their own homes.