dutiful 是一个形容词,意思是"尽职的、忠于职守的、恭顺的",指一个人忠实地履行自己的义务或责任,尤其是出于道德感或对权威的尊重。
/ˈdjuːtɪfʊl/(英式) /ˈduːtɪfəl/(美式)
She was a dutiful daughter who always took care of her elderly parents.
她是一个孝顺的女儿,总是照顾年迈的父母。
Despite his personal reservations, he gave a dutiful nod and carried out the task exactly as his supervisor had instructed.
尽管他个人有所保留,他还是恭顺地点了点头,完全按照主管的指示完成了任务。
dutiful 由名词 duty(职责、义务)加上后缀 -ful(充满……的)构成,字面意思是"充满责任感的"。duty 源自盎格鲁-法语 dueté,最终可追溯至拉丁语 debitus(欠下的、应尽的),与 due(应有的)同源。该词最早出现于16世纪,常用来形容子女对父母、臣民对君主的恭顺服从。