docile

docile
I
(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)
adj. gentle, tractable, teachable, submissive. See consent, submission.
II
(Roget's IV) modif.
Syn. meek, mild, tractable, compliant, obedient, amenable, pliant, submissive, accommodating, complying, acquiescent, adaptable, resigned, agreeable, willing, obliging, well-behaved, manageable, biddable, malleable, pliable, tame, yielding, teachable, easily influenced, easy, easygoing, soft, governable, manipulable, childlike, gentle, complaisant, unassertive, passive, unresisting; see also gentle 3 , humble 1 , obedient 1 .
Ant. rebellious, ungovernable, wild.
Syn.- docile implies a temperament that submits easily to control or that fails to resist domination [ a docile horse ] ; tractable implies ease of management or control but does not connote the submissiveness of docile and applies to things as well as people and animals [ silver is a tractable , i.e., malleable, metal ] ; compliant suggests a weakness of character that allows one to yield meekly to another's request or demand [ army life had made him compliant] ; amenable suggests such amiability or deSire to be agreeable as would lead one to submit readily [ I found her amenable to persuasion ] ; obedient suggests a giving in to the orders or instructions of one in authority or control [ an obedient child ]
III
(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) a.
[DOS ul]
easy to train and handle, tractable.
The poodle is considerably more docile than the coyote.
SYN.: tractable, malleable, trainable, pliant, manageable, obedient, gentle, accommodating, submissive, compliant, obliging, meek.
ANT.: defiant, stubborn, vicious, untrainable, *unbreakable
IV
(Roget's Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Easily managed or handled: gentle, meek, mild, tame. See WILD. 2. Willing to carry out the wishes of others: amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, obedient, submissive, supple, tractable. See RESIST.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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  • docile — [ dɔsil ] adj. • 1495; lat. docilis, de docere « enseigner » 1 ♦ Vieilli Docile à. Qui a de la disposition à céder, à obéir. Élève, écolier docile à ses maîtres, aux leçons de ses maîtres. « Soumis et docile à la critique quand elle lui… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • docile — DOCILE. adj. des 2 genr. Qui est propre à recevoir instruction, ou qui a de la disposition à se laisser conduire et gouverner. Naturel docile. Esprit docile. Humeur docile. Enfant docile. Un homme fort docile aux leçons de son maître. Docile au… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • docile — DOCILE. adj. de tout genre. Qui est propre à recevoir instruction, ou qui a de la disposition à se laisser conduire & gouverner. Naturel docile. esprit docile. humeur docile. enfant docile. un homme fort docile …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Docile — Doc ile, a. [L. docilis,fr. docere to teach; cf. Gr. ?, and L. discere to learn, Gr. ? learned, ? knowing: cf. F. docile. Cf. {Doctor}, {Didactic}, {Disciple}.] 1. Teachable; easy to teach; docible. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] 2. Disposed to be taught; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • docile — (adj.) late 15c., easily taught, from It. or Fr. docile, from L. docilis easily taught, from docere teach (see DOCTOR (Cf. doctor)). Sense of obedient, submissive first recorded 1774 …   Etymology dictionary

  • docile — index facile, malleable, obedient, obsequious, passive, patient, pliable, pliant, sequacious …   Law dictionary

  • docile — / dɔtʃile/ agg. [dal lat. docĭlis, der. di docēre insegnare ]. 1. a. [di persona che si piega facilmente alla volontà altrui, anche con la prep. a : un ragazzo d., d indole d. ; essere d. agli avvertimenti ] ▶◀ accondiscendente, cedevole,… …   Enciclopedia Italiana

  • docile — *obedient, biddable, tractable, amenable Analogous words: *compliant, acquiescent: pliant, pliable, adaptable (see PLASTIC): yielding, submitting or submissive (see corresponding verbs at YIELD) Antonyms: indocile: unruly, ungovernable Contrasted …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • docile — [adj] compliant, submissive accommodating, acquiescent, adaptable, agreeable, amenable, biddable, childlike, complacent, cool, docious, ductile, easily influenced, easy, easygoing, gentle, governable, humble, laidback, manageable, meek, mellow,… …   New thesaurus

  • docile — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ ready to accept control or instruction; submissive. DERIVATIVES docilely adverb docility noun. ORIGIN Latin docilis, from docere teach …   English terms dictionary

  • docile — [däs′əl; ] Cdn & Brit, usually [ dō′sīl΄] adj. [Fr < L docilis, easily taught < docere, to teach: see DECENT] 1. Now Rare easy to teach; teachable 2. easy to manage or discipline; submissive SYN. OBEDIENT docilely adv. docility [dō sil′ə… …   English World dictionary

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