docility
Willingness to obey
Docility is the quality of being easily taught, led, or controlled.
The word carries a hint of submission—a docile person or animal doesn't resist authority or instruction.
The dog's docility made training easy.
In some contexts, docility is praised as cooperative; in others, it's criticized as passive or spineless.
Compliance with authority
- submissivenessDisposition to obey others
- tractabilityReadiness to be guided
- manageabilityEase of being controlled
- amenabilityReadiness to yield
biddability · acquiescence · deference · conformity · cooperation · dutifulness · subordination · pliability
Soft, kind demeanor
- mildnessGentle, moderate quality
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
- calmnessPeaceful mental state
- placidityState of undisturbed calm
tameness · passivity · peacefulness · tranquility · serenity · softness · tenderness · patience
State of being docile
- domesticationAdapting species to captivity
- trainabilityAbility to be taught
- gentlenessSoft, kind demeanor
- handleabilityEase of manipulation
Excessive willingness to obey
- sycophancyObsequious behavior toward authority
- obsequiousnessServile eagerness to please
- servilityExcessive willingness to please
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
groveling · bootlicking · toadying · slavishness · self-abasement · kowtowing
obedience
Compliance with authority
- submissivenessDisposition to obey others
- tractabilityReadiness to be guided
- manageabilityEase of being controlled
amenability · biddability · acquiescence · deference · conformity · cooperation · dutifulness · subordination · pliability · malleability
gentleness
Soft, kind demeanor
- mildnessGentle, moderate quality
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
- calmnessPeaceful mental state
placidity · tameness · passivity · peacefulness · tranquility · serenity · softness · tenderness · patience · equanimity
tameness
State of being docile
- domesticationAdapting species to captivity
- trainabilityAbility to be taught
- gentlenessSoft, kind demeanor
handleability · manageability · tractability · brokenness · housebroken
subservience
Excessive willingness to obey
- sycophancyObsequious behavior toward authority
- obsequiousnessServile eagerness to please
- servilityExcessive willingness to please
fawning · groveling · bootlicking · toadying · slavishness · self-abasement · kowtowing
- dog traitsloyal, friendly, loyalty, devoted, playful
- humilityhumbleness, humble, meekness, modesty, modest
- obedienceobedience, compliance, subordination, deference, subservience
- passivitypassiveness, inaction, inactivity, submissiveness, acquiescence
- poultry traitsegg production, egg size, feather color, broodiness, temperament
- submissivenesssubmissiveness, meekness, obedience, tractability, compliance
docilitydefiance
Open resistance to authority
rebelliousness · disobedience · recalcitrance · intractability · insubordination
docilitywildness
Untamed, uncontrolled state
ferocity · truculence · hostility · aggressiveness · fierceness
docilityassertiveness
Confident self-expression quality
self-assertion · willfulness · forcefulness · dominance · strong-mindedness
doctor, document, docile, doctrine, docent, indoctrinate, docilely, docileness