obliged


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.

o·blige

 (ə-blīj′)
v. o·bliged, o·blig·ing, o·blig·es
v.tr.
1. To compel or require (someone) to do something, as by circumstance or legality: When the power went out, we were obliged to fetch water with a bucket. The contract obliges you to meet the deadline.
2. To make indebted or grateful: I am obliged to you for your gracious hospitality.
3. To do a service or favor for: They obliged us by arriving early.
v.intr.
To do a service or favor: The soloist obliged with yet another encore.

[Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, from Latin obligāre : ob-, to; see ob- + ligāre, to bind; see leig- in Indo-European roots.]

o·blig′er n.
Synonyms: oblige, accommodate, favor
These verbs mean to perform a service or a courteous act for: She obliged me by keeping the personal matter quiet. My brother is accommodating me by lending me money. The singer favored the audience with an encore. See Also Synonyms at force.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

obliged

(əˈblaɪdʒd)
adj
to feel obligated to dogratefulexpressions used when one wants to indicate that one is very grateful for somethingexpressions used to tell someone in a polite but firm way that one wants them to do somethingused as a polite convention for opening or closing a letter; literally, indebted
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.obliged - under a moral obligation to do something
obligated - caused by law or conscience to follow a certain course; "felt obligated to repay the kindness"; "was obligated to pay off the student loan"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

obliged

adjective
1. forced, required, bound, compelled, obligated, duty-bound, under an obligation, under compulsion, without any option I was obliged to answer their questions.
2. grateful, in (someone's) debt, thankful, indebted, appreciative, beholden I am extremely obliged to you.
much obliged thank you, thanks, cheers (informal), thanks very much, thanks a lot, many thanks Much obliged for your assistance.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

obliged

adjective
Owing something, such as gratitude or appreciation, to another:
Archaic: bounden.
Idiom: under obligation.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

obliged

[əˈblaɪdʒd] adj
(= obligated) → obligé(e)
to feel obliged to do sth → se sentir obligé de faire qch
(= grateful) → reconnaissant(e)
to be obliged to sb for sth → savoir gré à qn de qch
I'm obliged to you for all the trouble you've taken → je vous sais gré de tout le mal que vous vous êtes donné.
I would be obliged if you could ... → je vous saurai gré de bien vouloir ...
I would be obliged if you could read it to us → Je vous saurai gré de bien vouloir nous le lire.
much obliged! → merci mille fois !
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
References in classic literature ?
much thicker than Miss Anne's; and, in short, her civility rendered her quite as anxious to be left to walk with Mr Elliot as Anne could be, and it was discussed between them with a generosity so polite and so determined, that the others were obliged to settle it for them; Miss Elliot maintaining that Mrs Clay had a little cold already, and Mr Elliot deciding on appeal, that his cousin Anne's boots were rather the thickest.
One custom of this country deserves to be remarked: when a stranger comes to a village, or to the camp, the people are obliged to entertain him and his company according to his rank.
the favorite, the confidant, the first man, in short, at the court, he had been obliged to yield his place to Mazarin and so became the second in influence and favor; and eventually, as he was stupid enough to be vexed at this change of position, the queen had had him arrested and sent to Vincennes in charge of Guitant, who made his appearance in these pages in the beginning of this history and whom we shall see again.
In the first place, his handwriting was so abominably bad that she was obliged to guess at his meaning.
They attacked him in various way-- with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all, and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas.
They were again obliged, therefore, to beat down a path for their horses, sometimes travelling on the icy surface of the stream.
I had helped myself surreptitiously to pocket-money at school, by selling my caricatures, and I was obliged to repeat the process at home!
Though we have properly enough entitled this our work, a history, and not a life; nor an apology for a life, as is more in fashion; yet we intend in it rather to pursue the method of those writers, who profess to disclose the revolutions of countries, than to imitate the painful and voluminous historian, who, to preserve the regularity of his series, thinks himself obliged to fill up as much paper with the detail of months and years in which nothing remarkable happened, as he employs upon those notable aeras when the greatest scenes have been transacted on the human stage.
Henry, overjoyed to have her go, bowed and watched her off, and without losing another moment, turned instantly to Fanny, and, taking out some letters, said, with a most animated look, "I must acknowledge myself infinitely obliged to any creature who gives me such an opportunity of seeing you alone: I have been wishing it more than you can have any idea.
Elton was speaking with animation, Harriet listening with a very pleased attention; and Emma, having sent the child on, was beginning to think how she might draw back a little more, when they both looked around, and she was obliged to join them.
And these men, being corrupted with money, went as far as they could to ruin the city: and, because their power was too great and nearly tyrannical, their kings were obliged to natter them, which contributed greatly to hurt the state; so that it altered from an aristocracy to a democracy.
"I am very much obliged to you," he said, "for this information.