oblige
To do something helpful that someone has asked you to do.
oblige in a sentence
- When Gran asked for help with the shopping bags, Tom was happy to oblige and carried them all.
- When the singer asked for one more song, the band was glad to oblige and played until midnight.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to oblige?
- Ahelp
- Brefuse
- Cdecline
Show the answer
A: help. The other three mean the opposite of oblige.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to oblige?
- Aplease
- Bassist
- Chelp
- Drefuse
Show the answer
D: refuse. The other three mean nearly the same as oblige.
Words that mean something similar
help, assist, please
Words that mean the opposite
refuse, decline
More words about behaviour & manners
- obnoxious: Very rude and unpleasant in a way that annoys everyone.
- offend: To upset someone by being rude or unkind.
- oppose: To be against something and try to stop it.
- oppress: To treat people cruelly and unfairly, keeping them under control.
- painstaking: Done with great care and attention to every detail.
- pamper: To look after someone with too much care and comfort.
- pardon: To forgive someone for something they have done wrong.
- pester: To annoy someone by bothering them again and again.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test