oblige
oblige Lexical Profile
oblige Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make someone legally or morally bound to do something; to compel or require by law, agreement, or circumstance.
"The terms of the contract oblige the company to provide thirty days' notice before terminating the service."
To do as someone asks or desires in order to help or please them; to accommodate.
"When the audience requested an encore, the pianist was more than happy to oblige."
To make someone indebted or grateful by conferring a favor or service (usually used in the passive voice).
"I am much obliged to you for helping me carry these heavy boxes upstairs."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'oblige' and 'obligate' share a root and both can mean to bind legally or morally, only 'oblige' is used to mean doing someone a favor or making them grateful (e.g., 'much obliged').
• Rhymes for oblige
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French 'obligier' from Latin 'obligare' (to bind up, bandage, or put under moral or legal obligation), formed from 'ob-' (to, toward) and 'ligare' (to tie or bind).