obligated
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
feeling that you must do something because of a law, a rule, or a promise.
bound by a legal or moral tie to perform a specific action or duty.
Simple“He felt obligated to help his neighbor move because they had been friends for years.”
In context“The company felt obligated to provide a full refund after the technical failure disrupted the service for thousands of customers.”
UsageCommonly used in the pattern 'feel obligated to do something'.
PitfallI felt obligated for helping him. I felt obligated to help him.The adjective 'obligated' is followed by an infinitive ('to' + verb), not a prepositional phrase with 'for'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
feeling that you should do something for someone because they helped you first.
constrained by a social or personal sense of gratitude to return a favour.
Simple“I felt obligated to invite her to my party since she invited me to hers.”
In context“Having received such significant support during the primary, the candidate felt obligated to include his rival's policy suggestions in the final platform.”
UsageOften used when a person feels a social pressure to return a kindness.
“The DoJ argued California was obligated to ban trans girls from girls’ teams while the state’s schools received federal funding.”