oblige

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: o=blige

CIDE DICTIONARY

oblige, v. t. [OF. obligier, F. obliger, L. obligare; ob (see Ob-) + ligare to bind. See Ligament, and cf. Obligate.].

•  To attach, as by a bond.  [1913 Webster]

  "He had obliged all the senators and magistrates firmly to himself."  [1913 Webster]
•  To constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to put under obligation to do or forbear something.  [1913 Webster]

  "The obliging power of the law is neither founded in, nor to be measured by, the rewards and punishments annexed to it."  [1913 Webster]

  "Religion obliges men to the practice of those virtues which conduce to the preservation of our health."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bind by some favor rendered; to place under a debt; hence, to do a favor to; to please; to gratify; to accommodate.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thus man, by his own strength, to heaven would soar,
  And would not be obliged to God for more."  [1913 Webster]

  "The gates before it are brass, and the whole much obliged to Pope Urban VIII."  [1913 Webster]

  "I shall be more obliged to you than I can express."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

oblige, v.
1 tr. (foll. by to + infin.) constrain, compel.
2 tr. be binding on.
3 tr. a make indebted by conferring a favour. b (foll. by with, or by + verbal noun) gratify (oblige me by leaving). c perform a service for (often absol.: will you oblige?).
4 tr. (in passive; foll. by to) be indebted (am obliged to you for your help).
5 intr. colloq. (foll. by with) make a contribution of a specified kind (Doris obliged with a song).
6 tr. archaic or Law (foll. by to, or to + infin.) bind by oath, promise, contract, etc.

Idiom

much obliged an expression of thanks.

Derivative

obliger n.

Etymology

ME f. OF obliger f. L obligare (as OB-, ligare bind)

THESAURUS

oblige

accommodate, aid, assist, avail, benefit, bind, brook no denial, call for, cater to, coddle, coerce, commit, compel, concuss, constrain, contribute, convenience, cosset, demand, dictate, do a favor, do a service, do right by, exact, favor, force, give way to, gratify, help, humor, impose, indulge, insist upon, leave no option, make, make imperative, make incumbent, mollycoddle, necessitate, obligate, pamper, please, pledge, profit, require, saddle with, satisfy, serve, shotgun, show kindness to, spoil, take no denial, tie, treat well, yield to

ROGET THESAURUS

oblige

Aid

VB aid, assist, help, succor, lend one's aid, come to the aid, of, contribute, subscribe to, bring aid, give aid, furnish aid, afford aid, supply aid, give a helping hand, stretch a hand, lend a helping hand, lend a hand, bear a helping hand, hold out a hand, hold out a helping hand, give one a life, give one a cast, give one a turn, take by the hand, take in tow, help a lame dog over a stile, lend wings to, relieve, rescue, set up, set agoing, set on one's legs, bear through, pull through, give new life to, be the making of, reinforce, reenforce, recruit, set forward, put forward, push forward, give a lift, give a shove, give an impulse to, promote, further, forward, advance expedite, speed, quicken, hasten, support, sustain, uphold, prop, hold up, bolster, cradle, nourish, nurture, nurse, dry nurse, suckle, put out to nurse, manure, cultivate, force, foster, cherish, foment, feed the flame, fan the flame, serve, do service to, tender to, pander to, administer to, subminister to, minister to, tend, attend, wait on, take care of, entertain, smooth the bed of death, oblige, accommodate, consult the wishes of, humor, cheer, encourage, second, stand by, back, back up, pay the piper, abet, work for, make interest for, stick up for, take up the cudgels for, take up the cause of, espouse the cause of, adopt the cause of, advocate, beat up for recruits, press into the service, squire, give moral support to, keep in countenance, countenance, patronize, lend oneself to, lend one's countenance to, smile upon, shine upon, favor, befriend, take in hand, enlist under the banners of, side with, be of use to, subserve, benefit, render a service, conduce.

Compulsion

VB compel, force, make, drive, coerce, constrain, enforce, necessitate, oblige, force upon, press, cram down the throat, thrust down the throat, force down the throat, say it must be done, make a point of, insist upon, take no denial, put down, dragoon, extort, wring from, squeeze, put on the squeeze, put on the screws, turn on the screw, drag into, bind, bind over, pin down, tie down, require, tax, put in force, commandeer, restrain.

Duty

VB be the duty of, be incumbent, on, be responsible, behoove, become, befit, beseem, belong to, pertain to, fall to one's lot, devolve on, lie upon, lie on one's head, lie at one's door, rest with, rest on the shoulders of, take upon oneself, be bound to, become bound to, be sponsor for, become sponsor for, incur a responsibility, be under an obligation, stand under an obligation, lie under an obligation, have to answer for, owe to it oneself, impose a duty enjoin, require, exact, bind, bind over, saddle with, prescribe, assign, call upon, look to, oblige, enter upon a duty, perform a duty, observe a duty, fulfill a duty, discharge a duty, adhere to a duty, acquit oneself of a duty, satisfy a duty, enter upon an obligation, perform an obligation, observe an obligation, fulfill an obligation, discharge an obligation, adhere to an obligation, acquit oneself of an obligation, satisfy an obligation, act one's part, redeem one's pledge, do justice to, be at one's post, do duty, do one's duty, be on one's good behavior, mind one's P's and Q's.