duteous

1 9.9

Ready to obey and show respect because they feel they should

adjective
/ˈdjuːtiəs/

Archaic

: obediente

The duteous student always completes her assignments on time.

Examples

The duteous servant followed every instruction without complaint.
His duteous attitude earned him the admiration of his teachers.
She remained duteous to her parents throughout their old age.
He is a duteous son who respects his parents.
The duteous student always completed his assignments on time.
She was known for her duteous nature, always helping those in need.
He showed his duteous attitude by volunteering at the charity every weekend.

Synonyms

obedient

vsduteous

45 1.0

Willing to do what someone in charge tells you

is motivated by inner commitment and respect rather than submission to authority

dutiful

vsduteous

16 3.9

Willing to do what others expect and follow rules

is willing and respectful, focusing on inner commitment rather than mere task fulfillment

obediential

vsduteous

9.9

Willing to follow orders or requests

is based on inner commitment and respectful willingness rather than mere compliance

Antonyms

irresponsible

203 3.2

Not thinking about what will happen after you act

disobedient

11 4.0

Refuses to obey rules or people in charge

How Dutiful

devoted

80 3.4

duteous

Archaic

1 9.9

obedient

45 1.0

compliant

31 5.1

Surface Forms

duteous positive

Morphology

duteous = duty (semi-transparent) = duty + eous

The adjective is formed from 'duty' + the adjective-forming suffix '-eous', but the uncommon suffix and spelling change (duty → duteous) may reduce immediate recognizability for learners.

Etymology

Duteous comes from the simple word duty, which means 'what you must do'. A helpful way to remember it is that duty goes back to an old Latin root debere meaning 'to owe', so if you 'owe' someone something you feel you must act — duteous describes someone who willingly follows their duties and shows respect.