as in respectful
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the family showed a dutiful deference to their minister when he came to dinner
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Recent Examples of dutiful
When responses lag or feel dutiful rather than enthusiastic, they're already mentally checked out.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Or a group of high-minded, dutiful, quite-conscientious California voters?
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
The audience at the Grand Palais rewarded Hüller’s performance as the dutiful daughter of a post-war German literary genius with a 5-minute standing ovation, by Variety‘s count.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 2026
But overall, the dutiful Queen seemed to loosen up in the more casual America.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Or a group of high-minded, dutiful, quite-conscientious California voters?
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
The audience at the Grand Palais rewarded Hüller’s performance as the dutiful daughter of a post-war German literary genius with a 5-minute standing ovation, by Variety‘s count.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 14 May 2026
But overall, the dutiful Queen seemed to loosen up in the more casual America.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dutiful
Adjective
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The university is steadfastly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every member of our community.—
Adam Sabes , CB Cotton,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Cultural advisors ensure all aspects of the resort, including programming and design, are authentic and respectful.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
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And many advocates are promoting a vision of public health that’s less dependent on mandates and appeals to authority, and more deferent to individuals’ beliefs.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dutiful. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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