Meanings
comparative more respectful · superlative most respectful · alternative respec'ful
- Marked or characterized by respect
They used highly respectful language when conversing with the elders.
2 more 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.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivefull of or exhibiting respect
adjectivefeeling or manifesting veneration
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic مُحْتَرَم
- مُحْتَرَم (muḥtaram)characterized by respect
Bulgarian почтителен, вежлив
- почтителен (počtitelen)characterized by respect
- вежлив (vežliv)characterized by respect
Catalan respectuós
- respectuóscharacterized by respect
Chinese Mandarin 恭敬
- 恭敬 (gōngjìng)characterized by respect
Dutch eerbiedig, respectvol
- eerbiedigcharacterized by respect
- respectvolcharacterized by respect
Esperanto respekta, respektema
- respektacharacterized by respect
- respektemacharacterized by respect
- altestimacharacterized by respect
Finnish kunnioittava
- kunnioittavacharacterized by respect
French respectueux
- respectueuxcharacterized by respect
German respektvoll
- respektvollcharacterized by respect
Hindi सम्मानपूर्वक
- सम्मानपूर्वक (sammānpūrvak)characterized by respect
Hungarian tiszteletteljes, tisztelettudó
- tiszteletteljescharacterized by respect
- tisztelettudócharacterized by respect
Irish measúil, ómósach
- measúilcharacterized by respect
- ómósachcharacterized by respect
Italian rispettoso
- rispettosocharacterized by respect
Japanese 恭しい
- 恭しい (uyauyashii)characterized by respect
Korean 공손한
- 공손한 (gongson-han)characterized by respect
Latin reverens
- reverenscharacterized by respect
Lithuanian pagarbus
- pagarbuscharacterized by respect
Māori ngākau whakaute
- ngākau whakautecharacterized by respect
Persian محترمانه
- محترمانه (mohtaramâne)characterized by respect
Polish atencjonalny
- atencjonalnycharacterized by respect
Portuguese respeitoso
- respeitosocharacterized by respect
Romanian respectuos
- respectuoscharacterized by respect
Russian уважи́тельный, почти́тельный
- уважи́тельный (uvažítelʹnyj)characterized by respect
- почти́тельный (počtítelʹnyj)characterized by respect
Spanish respetuoso
- respetuosocharacterized by respect
Tagalog magalang
- magalangcharacterized by respect
Turkish saygılı
- saygılıcharacterized by respect
Ukrainian шанобли́вий
- шанобли́вий (šanoblývyj)characterized by respect
Vietnamese lễ phép, kính cẩn
- lễ phépcharacterized by respect
- kính cẩncharacterized by respect
Cite this entry
respectful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/respectful
“respectful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/respectful. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “respectful,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/respectful.
Source: respectful on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.