different between obey vs attend

English

Etymology

From Middle English obeyen, from Anglo-Norman obeir, obeier et al., Old French obeir, from Latin oboedi? (also ob?di? (“to listen to, harken, usually in extended sense, obey, be subject to, serve”)), from ob- (“before, near”) + audi? (“to hear”). Compare audient. In Latin, ob + audire would have been expected to become Classical Latin *ob?di? (compare in + claud? becoming incl?d?), but it has been theorized that the usual law court associations of the word for obeying encouraged a false archaism from ? to oe, to oboedi? (compare Old Latin oinos ? Classical Latin ?nus).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /o??be?/, /??be?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???be?/, /??be?/
• Rhymes: -e?
• Hyphenation: obey

Verb

obey (third-person singular simple present obeys, present participle obeying, simple past and past participle obeyed)

1. (transitive) To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
2. (intransitive) To do as one is told.
3. (obsolete, intransitive) To be obedient, compliant (to a given law, restriction etc.).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.iv:

     They were all taught by Triton, to obay / To the long raynes, at her commaundement [...].

Synonyms

• hearken

Antonyms

• disobey
• defy
• rebel
• resist
• violate (especially rules)

Related terms

• obedience
• obedient
• obeisance

Translations

Further reading

• obey in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• obey in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

References

Anagrams

• e-boy, yebo

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /??t?nd/, [??t??nd]
• Rhymes: -?nd
• Homophone: atend

Etymology 1

From Middle English attenden, atenden, from Old French atendre (“to attend, listen”), from Latin attendere (“to stretch toward, give heed to”), from ad (“to”) + tendere (“to stretch”); see tend and compare attempt.

Verb

attend (third-person singular simple present attends, present participle attending, simple past and past participle attended)

1. (archaic, transitive) To listen to (something or someone); to pay attention to; regard; heed. [from 15th c.]

   • The diligent pilot in a dangerous tempest doth not attend the unskilful words of the passenger.
2. (archaic, intransitive) To listen (to, unto). [from 15th c.]
   • 1912, Rudyard Kipling, The Beginning of the Armadillos

     'Now attend to me,' said Painted Jaguar, 'because this is very important. […]

4. (intransitive) To turn one's consideration (to); to deal with (a task, problem, concern etc.), to look after. [from 15th c.]
5. (transitive, intransitive) To wait upon as a servant etc.; to accompany to assist (someone). [from 15th c.]
7. (transitive) To be present at (an event or place) in order to take part in some action or proceedings; to regularly go to (an event or place). [from 17th c.]
   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, p. 20:

     I attended a one-room school next door to the palace and studied English, Xhosa, history and geography.

8. (intransitive, law) To go to (a place) for some purpose (with at).
9. To be present with; to accompany; to be united or consequent to.
   • 1697, John Dryden, The Georgics

     What cares must then attend the toiling swain.
10. To wait for; to await; to remain, abide, or be in store for.

    • the different state of perfect happiness or misery that attends all men after this

    • 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour

      Three days I promised to attend my doom.

Synonyms

• (listen to): behear, heed, mark, notice
• (listen): notice, pay attention, take heed; See also Thesaurus:listen or Thesaurus:pay attention
• (wait upon as a servant): bestand, serve; See also Thesaurus:serve
• (wait for): See also Thesaurus:wait for

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English attenden, atenden, from Old English ?tendan (“to set on fire, kindle, inflame, trouble, perplex”), equivalent to a- +? tend.

Verb

attend (third-person singular simple present attends, present participle attending, simple past and past participle attended)

1. Alternative form of atend ("to kindle").

Related terms

• tend
• tinder

References

• attend at OneLook Dictionary Search
• attend in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Adnett

Dutch

Pronunciation

Participle

attend

1. present participle of atten

Declension

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.t??/

Verb

attend

1. third-person singular present indicative of attendre

Anagrams

• datent