Standard Lemma guide

respectful

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹɪˈspɛkt.fl̩/
  • /ɹɪˈspɛk.fl̩/
  • /ɹəˈspɛkt.fl̩/
  • /ɹəˈspɛk.fl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 S P EH1 K T F AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Marked or characterized by respect

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1907, Marshall Broomhall (Editor), The Chinese Empire. A General & Missionary Survey/The Province of Kansu On the whole, indifference rather than open hostility has been the attitude of the people towards the Gospel, but since 1900 there has been a more eager and respectful attention to the things taught.
  • It is of great importance that you act in a respectful manner towards the duke and duchess.
  • They used highly respectful language when conversing with the elders.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

full of or exhibiting respect

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • respectful behavior
  • a respectful glance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: disrespectful

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

feeling or manifesting veneration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reverential, venerating

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From respect + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُحْتَرَم (muḥtaram) — characterized by respect
  • Arabic: محترم (muḥtaram) — characterized by respect
  • Belarusian: паважлівы (pavažlivy) — characterized by respect
  • Belarusian: пачцівы (pačcivy) — characterized by respect
  • Bulgarian: почтителен (počtitelen) — characterized by respect
  • Bulgarian: вежлив (vežliv) — characterized by respect
  • Catalan: respectuós — characterized by respect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 恭敬 (gōngjìng) — characterized by respect
  • Dutch: eerbiedig — characterized by respect
  • Dutch: respectvol — characterized by respect
  • Esperanto: respekta — characterized by respect
  • Esperanto: respektema — characterized by respect
  • Esperanto: altestima — characterized by respect
  • Finnish: kunnioittava — characterized by respect
  • French: respectueux — characterized by respect
  • Galician: respectuoso — characterized by respect
  • German: respektvoll — characterized by respect
  • Hindi: सम्मानपूर्वक (sammānpūrvak) — characterized by respect
  • Hungarian: tiszteletteljes — characterized by respect
  • Hungarian: tisztelettudó — characterized by respect
  • Ido: respektoza — characterized by respect
  • Ido: respektema — characterized by respect
  • Irish: measúil — characterized by respect
  • Irish: ómósach — characterized by respect
  • Italian: rispettoso — characterized by respect
  • Japanese: 恭しい (uyauyashii) — characterized by respect
  • Khmer: មានគារវៈ (miən kiərĕəʼvĕəʼ) — characterized by respect
  • Korean: 공손한 (gongson-han) — characterized by respect
  • Latin: reverens — characterized by respect
  • Lithuanian: pagarbus — characterized by respect
  • Māori: ngākau whakaute — characterized by respect
  • Norman: respectueux — characterized by respect
  • Occitan: respectuós — characterized by respect
  • Persian: محترمانه (mohtaramâne) — characterized by respect
  • Plautdietsch: heeflich — characterized by respect
  • Polish: atencjonalny — characterized by respect
  • Portuguese: respeitoso — characterized by respect
  • Romanian: respectuos — characterized by respect
  • Russian: уважи́тельный (uvažítelʹnyj) — characterized by respect
  • Russian: почти́тельный (počtítelʹnyj) — characterized by respect
  • Slovene: spoštljiv — characterized by respect
  • Spanish: respetuoso — characterized by respect
  • Tagalog: magalang — characterized by respect
  • Turkish: saygılı — characterized by respect
  • Ukrainian: шанобли́вий (šanoblývyj) — characterized by respect
  • Vietnamese: lễ phép — characterized by respect
  • Vietnamese: kính cẩn — characterized by respect
Real reading context

respectful in complete knowledge articles