Synonyms

obliged

American

[uh-blahyjd] / əˈblaɪdʒd /

adjective

bound by duty, ethics, or politeness.

You can bring something to share at the picnic, but please don't feel obliged.
forced by law, regulation, or necessity.

All students are obliged to participate in an internship program.
appreciative or grateful.

If you could shed some light on this mystery, I'd be obliged.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of oblige.

idioms

(very) much obliged, thank you (very much).

Much obliged for your efforts!

Other Word Forms

obligedly adverb
obligedness noun
unobliged adjective

Etymology

Origin of obliged

oblige ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Graham obliged—arguing that Rwanda was a reliable U.S. partner and sanctions could alienate it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Handsome realized how easy it was to make big generous pledges when he was not obliged to live up to them, so he went on.

From Literature

As children, Mrie and her sister, Alia, were obliged to plead with their father for money, which he supplied only intermittently.

From Los Angeles Times

Network Rail, as the operator, is obliged to respond to her report by 31 March with details and a timetable of plans for action.

From BBC

But what does this really mean for Charu, who is obliged by the death of her mother to take up the housekeeping?

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023