Synonyms for docile
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Meek — yielding to control or supervision, direction, or management
meek, submissive, tractable, tame, pliant, yielding, compliant, manageable, pliable, passive, malleable, flexible, facile, ductile, biddable, complaisant
2. Obedient — ready to accept instruction or direction; obedient; subservient
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Ready to accept instruction or direction; obedient; subservient.
- adj. 2
Yielding to control or supervision, direction, or management.
Such literature may well be anathema to those, who are too docile and petty for their own good.
Related words
- Word family
- docileness docility docent doctor doctorate doctrinaire doctrinal doctrine
Choose the right word
One who is docile is easily taught; one who is tractable is easily led; one who is pliant is easily bent in any direction; compliant represents one as inclined or persuaded to agreement with another's will.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- tame The birds are so tame they will eat from your hand.
- meek Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
- submissive Men are subconsciously attracted to submissive women.
- tractable It may not be easy, but this problem is tractable.
- gentle A noble man by woman's gentle word may oft be led.
- inward We have become an intolerant, inward-looking society.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| docile | rising | |
| tame | rising | |
| meek | rising | |
| submissive | rising | |
| tractable | rising | |
| gentle | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- apt1
- 4 letters
- tame1, meek1
- 5 letters
- buxom2
- 6 letters
- gentle2, inward2, facile2, pliant2
- 7 letters
- passive2, pliable3, ductile2
- 8 letters
- flexible3, yielding2, obedient4, amenable4, sheepish2, biddable3
- 9 letters
- compliant3, malleable4, teachable3, tractable3
- 10 letters
- manageable4, submissive3, corrigible4
- 11 letters
- complaisant3
- 13 letters
- disciplinable
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (buxom2 = 2 syllables).