1. To constrain by physical, legal, social, or moral means. 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.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:
To do a service or favor: The soloist obliged with yet another encore.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, from Latin obligre : ob-, to; see ob– + ligre, to bind; see leig- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:
o·bliger —NOUN
SYNONYMS:
oblige, accommodate, favor These verbs mean to perform a service or a courteous act for: obliged me by keeping the matter quiet; accommodating her by lending her money; favor an audience with an encore. See also synonyms at force.
-bl
j
re : ob-, to; see ob– + lig
