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Glite Dictionary
🤝 To do a favor 📜 To force or require
to oblige

to oblige

81 4.1
To do a favor for someone when they ask
  • verb
  • /əˈblaɪdʒ/
translation icon : hacer un favor a
  • But, I wonder, signora, as a personal favor... if you would oblige us with a private rendition?
  • happy to oblige
  • feel obliged
  • willing to oblige

Surface crime varnish, old retouching, and I'm happy to oblige.

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Examples

  • -Glad to oblige, Your Honor.

    Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

  • The waiter was eager to oblige the customers with their requests.

  • Anything to oblige a guest.

    Hitler's Children (1943)

  • - Yes, I will oblige.

    Showgirls 2: Penny's from Heaven (2011)

  • I'm only too willing to oblige.

    The Great Dictator (1940)

  • I'm very much obliged to you, Mr...?

    The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

  • "I can do both," she turned toward her horse, and Moses obliged her with a leg up.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Yes sirree, Patrick, I reckon I'll be able to oblige you after all.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Every one of the Tahitians appeared anxious to oblige, and were naturally good-tempered and cheerful.

    Academic text (1991)

  • I am happy to oblige you by helping with your project.

Synonyms

to accommodate
vsto oblige
63 6.8

Help someone by doing what they ask

is done often because it is expected or as a polite duty
to do someone any favors
vsto oblige
  • Informal
48 5.1

Give someone help that does more harm than good

is offered as a polite or expected service rather than being truly helpful
to grace someone with
vsto oblige
15 6.7

To show respect to someone by giving something special, often by being there or speaking

is more about ordinary polite help than giving an honorific gift
to do me a favour
vsto oblige
  • UK
1 3.0

Ask someone politely to help you with something

is the action of helping often done because it is polite or expected

Antonyms

to refuse
716 1.7

To say no to a request or offer

to disoblige
8.9

To refuse or fail to do what someone asks, causing them trouble and upset

Compounds

noblesse oblige
  • Formal
2 9.9

People who are rich or powerful should be kind and help others

How Helpful

to bend over backwards
  • Informal
24 4.9
to go out of one's way
  • Informal
53 3.5
to oblige
81 4.1
to do someone any favors
  • Informal
48 5.1
to refuse
716 1.7

Surface Forms

oblige infinitive
obliged past
obliged past participle
obliging present participle
obliges third person singular

Etymology

Oblige comes from Latin parts ob- 'to' and ligare 'to bind'. A helpful image is that doing someone a favor 'binds' you to them, so to oblige someone is to do them a service or kindness.