obey

verb
🔊/əˈbeɪ/
🔊/əˈbeɪ/
[transitive, intransitive]
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they obey
🔊/əˈbeɪ/
🔊/əˈbeɪ/
he / she / it obeys
🔊/əˈbeɪz/
🔊/əˈbeɪz/
past simple obeyed
🔊/əˈbeɪd/
🔊/əˈbeɪd/
past participle obeyed
🔊/əˈbeɪd/
🔊/əˈbeɪd/
-ing form obeying
🔊/əˈbeɪɪŋ/
🔊/əˈbeɪɪŋ/
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  1. to do what you are told or expected to do服从;遵守;顺从
    • obey something to obey a command/an order/rules/the law服从指挥/命令;遵守规章/法律
    • He was arrested when he failed to obey a police instruction to stop. 当他没有服从警察的停止逮捕令时,他被捕。
    • He has turned into an efficient soldier, blindly obeying orders (= without questioning them). 他已经成为一名高效的士兵,一味地服从命令(不质疑他们)。
    • obey somebody He had always obeyed his parents without question.他对父母一向绝对服从。🔊🔊
    • (figurative) I tried to run but my legs just wouldn't obey me.我试着跑步,但是我的腿根本听不懂。
    • ‘Sit down!’ Meekly, she obeyed.“坐下!” 她乖乖地顺从了。🔊🔊
    opposite disobey
    Extra Examples
    • He refuses to obey the rules.他拒绝遵守规则。
    • The driver refused to obey police instructions.司机拒绝听从警察的指示。
    • The soldiers were punished for failing to obey orders.士兵们因不服从命令而受到惩罚。
    • People have a moral duty to obey the law.遵纪守法是人们道德上的义务。
    • She was used to having her orders instantly obeyed.她习惯于别人对她言听计从。
    • She's being punished for failure to obey a court order.她因未遵守庭谕正在受惩罚。
    Topics War and conflictb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • immediately
    • instantly
    • quickly
    verb + obey
    • have to
    • must
    • refuse to
    phrases
    • be only obeying orders
    • a duty to obey
    • an obligation to obey
    See full entry
    Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French obeir, from Latin oboedire, from ob- ‘in the direction of’ + audire ‘hear’.