Adjacent Words

Oblige definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OBLI'GE, v.t. pronounced as written, not oblege. [L. obligo; ob and ligo, to bind.]
1. To constrain by necessity; to compel by physical force. an admiral may be obliged to surrender his ships, or he may be obliged by adverse winds to delay sailing.
2. To constrain by legal force; to bind in law. We are obliged to pay toll for supporting roads and bridges.
3. To bind or constrain by moral force. We are obliged to believe positive and unsuspected testimony.
4. To bind in conscience or honor; to constrain by a sense of propriety. We are often obliged to conform to established customs, rites or ceremonies. To be obliged to yield to fashion is often the worst species of tyranny.
5. To do a favor to; to lay under obligation of gratitude; as, to oblige one with a loan of money.
6. To do a favor to; to please; to gratify. Oblige us with your company at dinner.
7. To indebt.
To those hills we are obliged for all our metals.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form" [syn: compel, oblige, obligate]
2: bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise" [syn: oblige, bind, hold, obligate]
3: provide a service or favor for someone; "We had to oblige him" [syn: oblige, accommodate] [ant: disoblige]

Merriam Webster's

verb (obliged; obliging) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French obliger, from Latin obligare, literally, to bind to, from ob- toward + ligare to bind — more at ligature Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to constrain by physical, moral, or legal force or by the exigencies of circumstance <obliged to find a job> 2. a. to put in one's debt by a favor or service <we are much obliged for your help> b. to do a favor for <always ready to oblige a friend> intransitive verb to do something as or as if as a favor Synonyms: see force • obliger noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) constrain, compel. 2 tr. be binding on. 3 tr. a make indebted by conferring a favour. b (foll. by with, or by + verbal noun) gratify (oblige me by leaving). c perform a service for (often absol.: will you oblige?). 4 tr. (in passive; foll. by to) be indebted (am obliged to you for your help). 5 intr. colloq. (foll. by with) make a contribution of a specified kind (Doris obliged with a song). 6 tr. archaic or Law (foll. by to, or to + infin.) bind by oath, promise, contract, etc. Phrases and idioms: much obliged an expression of thanks. Derivatives: obliger n. Etymology: ME f. OF obliger f. L obligare (as OB-, ligare bind)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Oblige O*blige", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obliged; p. pr. & vb. n. Obliging.] [OF. obligier, F. obliger, L. obligare; ob (see Ob-) + ligare to bind. See Ligament, and cf. Obligate.] 1. To attach, as by a bond. [Obs.] He had obliged all the senators and magistrates firmly to himself. --Bacon. 2. To constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to put under obligation to do or forbear something. The obliging power of the law is neither founded in, nor to be measured by, the rewards and punishments annexed to it. --South. Religion obliges men to the practice of those virtues which conduce to the preservation of our health. --Tillotson. 3. To bind by some favor rendered; to place under a debt; hence, to do a favor to; to please; to gratify; to accommodate. Thus man, by his own strength, to heaven would soar, And would not be obliged to God for more. --Dryden. The gates before it are brass, and the whole much obliged to Pope Urban VIII. --Evelyn. I shall be more obliged to you than I can express. --Mrs. E. Montagu.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(obliges, obliging, obliged) 1. If you are obliged to do something, a situation, rule, or law makes it necessary for you to do that thing. The storm got worse and worse. Finally, I was obliged to abandon the car and continue on foot... This decree obliges unions to delay strikes. = compel VERB: be V-ed to-inf, V n to-inf 2. To oblige someone means to be helpful to them by doing what they have asked you to do. If you ever need help with the babysitting, I'd be glad to oblige... We called up three economists to ask how to eliminate the deficit and they obliged with very straightforward answers... Mr Oakley always has been ready to oblige journalists with information. VERB: V, V with n, V n with n, also V n 3. People sometimes use obliged in expressions such as 'much obliged' or 'I am obliged to you' when they want to indicate that they are very grateful for something. (FORMAL or OLD-FASHIONED) Much obliged for your assistance... Thank you very much indeed, Doctor, I am extremely obliged to you. CONVENTION [formulae] 4. If you tell someone that you would be obliged or should be obliged if they would do something, you are telling them in a polite but firm way that you want them to do it. (FORMAL) I would be obliged if you could read it to us. CONVENTION [politeness]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Compel, force, coerce, constrain, necessitate, bind. 2. Serve, accommodate, please, favor, benefit, gratify, do a service for, do a favor to. 3. Obligate, bind, bring or lay under obligation.

Moby Thesaurus

accommodate, aid, assist, avail, benefit, bind, brook no denial, call for, cater to, coddle, coerce, commit, compel, concuss, constrain, contribute, convenience, cosset, demand, dictate, do a favor, do a service, do right by, exact, favor, force, give way to, gratify, help, humor, impose, indulge, insist upon, leave no option, make, make imperative, make incumbent, mollycoddle, necessitate, obligate, pamper, please, pledge, profit, require, saddle with, satisfy, serve, shotgun, show kindness to, spoil, take no denial, tie, treat well, yield to