Obligingly
adv.kind, capablewarm
What it means
In a willing and helpful manner.
Reach for it when describing willing helpful action in response to another person's request
The neighbor obligingly moved her car so the van could pass.
Choose between these
6- everyday
absence of reluctance is central
not when Willing action need not benefit another person.
- warm
practical assistance is the main effect
not when Help can be offered without responding to a request.
- warm
benevolent manner matters most
not when Kindly can sound patronizing or merely polite.
- professional
prompt willingness is the useful detail
not when Readiness says nothing about kindness.
- formal
accommodatingly
adjustment to another's needs is emphasized
not when The adverb is cumbersome in ordinary prose.
- formal
courtesy makes compliance feel generous
not when Grace can conceal unwillingness.
Said against
3- reluctantly
- unhelpfully
- stubbornly
It naturally appears in
3- obligingly agreed
The caretaker obligingly agreed to unlock the side entrance.
- obligingly moved
She obligingly moved her bicycle so the ramp stayed clear.
- smiled obligingly
He smiled obligingly and fetched a second chair.
The word family
2Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adverb, in a helpful and accommodating manner sense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-27
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.