OBLIGED Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

obliged 1 of 2

adjective

as in obligated

being under obligation for a favor or gift my new neighbor gave me a Christmas present, and now I feel obliged to reciprocate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in thankful

feeling or expressing gratitude I'd be much obliged if you could do me this favor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

obliged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of oblige

as in delighted

to do a service or favor for I would appreciate it greatly if you could oblige me by bringing a dessert to the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in compelled

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure I know you're in a hurry, but you can't oblige me to drive any faster than the speed limit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of obliged

Verb

That should come as no surprise; NASA is, after all, part of the executive branch, and the agency is obliged to abide by executive orders. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026 On his way out, Council obliged Stokes’ request and let out a few barks of his own. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026 Lee, who viewed the decision as inevitable and felt obliged to support Roh, made the announcement. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The reader takes on the role of a defendant in an HR investigation, obliged to absorb every detail. — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 An employee may feel obliged to listen, reassure or reciprocate even when uncomfortable. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 However, underwriters will remain obliged to purchase all of the shares offered. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 Following the first of his three touchdowns against Ole Miss, Baugh obliged, striking the familiar one-legged pose in a corner of the south end zone at the Swamp. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026 No current member would be obliged to subscribe to these principles. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliged

Adjective

The spokesperson did not respond to specific questions including what the legal basis would be for rescinding obligated funding.

— Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025

Definition of obligated

Adjective

Because in post-Covid times distributors and exhibitors were thankful enough to even hit $8 billion in North America.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Charity and neighborliness helped a lot — many victims are still thankful to churches and neighbors that volunteered their labor, according to Whitney Bailey, a disaster response project director at AppalReD Legal Aid.

— Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of thankful

Verb

And his fight against Black housing development in Newark’s North Ward delighted many of his neighbors.

— Mark Krasovic, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026
Past visitors include different types of tuna that have delighted sport fishers, and open-ocean red crabs that can change the poop color of birds that feast on them.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of delighted

Verb

Her mother, Betsy Lopez, spoke to CBS News Sacramento in June and said she was compelled to advocate for safer streets after her daughter's death.

— Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
To read even a downmarket newspaper, especially one from the mid-twentieth century before newspapers were compelled to compete with TV, is often to be surprised at the serious-mindedness of its journalism.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of compelled

Adjective

Instead, captain Jared Spurgeon took the team’s new military-style helmet, complete with night-vision goggles attached, and delivered it to an appreciative Lorenz.

— Michael Russo, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The filmmaker was showered with love and adoration by appreciative fans.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of appreciative

Verb

After a multi-year hiatus from the show, Burgess pleased the judges with her first routine with Cameron.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2026
The manner in which Marcos Llorente’s opener for Atletico transpired would not have pleased Andoni Iraola, even if the Spaniard needs time for his team to understand his out-of-possession demands.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of pleased

Verb

In the southern port city of Marseille, some shops and a municipal police station were damaged, while protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Performers weren’t spared either, with several forced to perform in the rain without covering for both artists and their equipment.

— Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of forced

Adjective

The protests being lodged against that decision provide some comfort, and Louise would have been grateful for them.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
The 12-year run on The Big Bang Theory has to be at the top of the list of things to be grateful for.

— Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of grateful

Browse Nearby Words

oblige

obliged

obliges

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Obliged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliged. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of obliged

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes