Full List
Obey: to follow the commands, restrictions, or instructions given by someone or something.
- The children obeyed the teacher and lined up quietly.
Object: to express disapproval of or opposition to something. To raise a formal or procedural complaint.
- Many residents objected to the proposed development.
- The attorney objected to the prosecutor’s question.
Oblige: to do a favor for someone or help them by doing what they ask. To compel or require as a result of law, duty, or circumstance.
- Could you oblige me by signing this form?
- Company rules oblige employees to wear ID badges.
Observe: to watch carefully and attentively. To comply with or keep a rule, law, or custom.
- Scientists observe the behavior of the animals for several months.
- We observe a moment of silence every year on Memorial Day.
Obstruct: to block or prevent movement or progress. To interfere with or hinder something.
- Fallen trees obstructed the road after the storm.
- The witness was accused of trying to obstruct the investigation.
Obtain: to get or gain possession of something. To be in force or prevail.
- She obtained a copy of the report from the office.
- Those arrangements obtain only in exceptional cases.
Occupy: to fill or take up space, time, or attention. To live in, take possession of, or control a place.
- The sofa occupies most of the living room.
- The troops occupied the town overnight.
Occur: to happen or take place. To come to mind.
- An accident occurred at the intersection this morning.
- The solution occurred to her while she was on the bus.
Offend: to cause someone to feel upset, hurt, or angry. To violate or transgress a law, rule, or moral code.
- His offhand comment offended several people at the meeting.
- He was charged after offending several traffic regulations.
Offer: to present or propose something for acceptance or rejection. To make available or provide something.
- She offered him a cup of tea.
- The company offered stock options to new employees.
Offset: to balance, counteract, or compensate for something. To place off-center or set aside.
- The gains in one area offset the losses in another.
- The walkway is offset slightly from the garden path.
Oil: to apply oil or lubricant. To treat or coat with oil.
- Please oil the hinges so the door stops squeaking.
- She oiled the wooden cutting board after cleaning it.
Omit: to leave out or exclude something, either intentionally or accidentally.
- They omitted the appendix from the final report.
Open: to make not closed; to move or remove a barrier. To begin or make available.
- He opened the window to let in fresh air.
- The gallery opens a new exhibition on Friday.
Operate: to function or cause to function. To perform a surgical procedure.
- The software operates smoothly on most computers.
- The surgeon will operate on the patient tomorrow morning.
Oppose: to be against or resist something. To act as an adversary.
- Several members opposed the new policy.
- He was pitted against a rival team that opposed his every move.
Opt: to make a choice or select one alternative. To decide to do or not do something.
- She opted for the later flight to avoid the morning rush.
- He opted out of the optional training session.
Optimize: to make as effective or useful as possible. To tune performance or make best use of resources.
- We optimized the layout to improve user navigation.
- The developer optimized the code to run faster on mobile devices.
Order: to command or instruct. To request goods or services.
- The officer ordered everyone to clear the area.
- She ordered lunch from the café next door.
Organize: to arrange into a structured order. To form or coordinate a group.
- He organized his files by date and topic.
- They organized a volunteer team to clean the park.
Originate: to begin or arise. To create or bring into existence.
- The custom originated in the 18th century.
- She originated the idea for the new app.
Outdo: to do better than someone else; to surpass.
- He always tries to outdo his competitors with creative marketing.
Outline: to give a general description or summary. To draw or indicate the outer edge of something.
- She outlined the plan in ten bullet points.
- The artist outlined the figure in charcoal before filling it in.
Outlive: to live longer than someone else. To continue to exist beyond something.
- She outlived all of her siblings.
- The tradition outlived the regime that started it.
Outnumber: to be greater in number than; to exceed in quantity.
- Female students outnumber male students in the program.
Outpace: to move or develop faster than something else.
- Sales outpaced expectations this quarter.
Output: to produce or deliver something.
- The factory outputs thousands of units every month.
Outrun: to run faster than someone else. To exceed or go beyond a limit.
- She outran the other competitors in the final lap.
- Costs began to outrun revenue by the end of the year.
Outsmart: to defeat or get the better of someone by cleverness.
- He outsmarted his opponents with a clever tactic.
Outshine: to shine brighter than something else. To be much better than someone else.
- The stage lights outshone the performers for a moment.
- Her work outshone that of her peers.
Outsource: to obtain goods or services from an external supplier.
- They outsourced customer support to a firm overseas.
Outstay: to stay longer than is welcome or expected.
- He outstayed his welcome at the party.
Outvote: to defeat or surpass in a vote by having more votes.
- The minority proposal was outvoted on the floor.
Overcome: to defeat or conquer an obstacle. To successfully deal with or surmount something.
- She overcame her fear of public speaking.
- They worked together to overcome the technical issues.
Overdo: to do something excessively. To exaggerate or embellish.
- He tends to overdo the decorations at every party.
- Don’t overdo the story—keep it believable.
Overeat: to eat more food than needed or healthy.
- I always overeat at holiday dinners.
Overflow: to flow over the edge because it is too full. To be so full that it spills over.
- The river overflowed its banks after the heavy rain.
- The crowd overflowed into the side streets.
Overgrow: to grow too large or thick and cover something. To grow beyond or out of a former size or stage.
- Vines have overgrown the garden fence.
- The toy was overgrown by the time the child reached ten.
Overhear: to hear something accidentally or without intent.
- I overheard them discussing plans for a surprise party.
Overlap: to cover part of the same area. To have elements in common or coincide in part.
- The two photos overlap slightly on the collage.
- The meeting times overlap, so I can’t attend both.
Overpay: to pay too much for something.
- We overpaid for the concert tickets because of the reseller fees.
Overpower: to defeat or subdue by superior strength. To overwhelm emotionally or mentally.
- The rescuers overpowered the attacker and restrained him.
- She was overpowered by grief when she heard the news.
Override: to use authority to reverse a decision. To bypass or take precedence over an automatic system.
- The board overrode the CEO’s initial decision.
- You can override the thermostat to increase the temperature temporarily.
Overrule: to reject or disallow a decision made by a lower authority.
- The judge overruled the objection and allowed the evidence.
Oversee: to supervise, manage, or watch over a task or group of people.
- She oversees the team responsible for product development.
Overtake: to catch up with and pass something moving in the same direction. To come upon or affect suddenly.
- The cyclist managed to overtake the group on the final climb.
- He was overtaken by a sudden wave of nostalgia.
Overthrow: to remove from power by force. To throw something too far past its target.
- The rebels attempted to overthrow the government.
- He overthrew the ball and missed the receiver.
Owe: to be obligated to pay back money or return something. To be indebted in gratitude.
- I owe the bank $2,000 on that loan.
- I owe you thanks for all your help this year.
Own: to have or possess something. To admit or acknowledge something.
- They own a small cottage by the lake.
- He owned up to breaking the vase.
Oxidize: to combine with oxygen, producing an oxide. To cause something to react with oxygen.
- The metal oxidized and developed a greenish patina over time.
- Exposure to salt air oxidized the car’s chrome trim.
