Kevin
February 10, 2021
Common Questions

This guide will provide you with all of the necessary information on the phrase much obliged, including its meaning, origin, example sentences, and more!

What is the definition of much obliged?

Much obliged, according to Collins Dictionary, is a British English phrase used to express gratitude or thanks. The phrase is usually formal or old fashioned, an can also be written as “I am obliged to you.” Gymglish states that much obliged means to be thankful, appreciate, grateful, or in someone’s debt. It is an idiom used in place of the phrase “thank you.” It is a very polite phrase, taking on the meaning of being indebted to the person one is thankful for.

It is often preceded or followed by an if clause, i.e. “I would be much obliged if…” or “If you did that, I would be much obliged to you.” The phrase makes use of the word obliged, which, according to Collins Dictionary, is a British English adjective that means grateful or thankful. It can also be used in the phrased, “to feel obliged to” and “would be obliged.”

Urban Dictionary states that much obliged literally means that one person now owed the other a favor in return for their service or kindness, taking the literal meaning that one is under obligation, which has the same origin as obliged, to repay said debt. Overall, people use it to mean they are appreciative, thankful, or grateful.

Is much obliged an archaic phrase or is it still used today?

Today, “much obliged” is seen as a formal phrase, and some may consider it old fashioned. While in Britain it is still a common phrase used to express thanks or gratitude; as common as the American “thanks,” in other English language-speaking countries it takes on more character. The phrase can either be viewed as sometimes excessively formal, or a more rural saying. It is also a common alternative in a Southern American English dialect as it is in Britain. Some may view this as being excessively thankful for a small task, or they might say something like, “I really can’t thank you enough” in place of much obliged.

The term thank you replaced the usage of much obliged shortly after its inception, and now the phrase much obliged is considered archaic. However, in Great Britain and the United States it is still fairly widely used.

Obliged does have one archaic definition, in that it used to be used as a closing or opening to a letter. One could sign a letter, “Obliged, Their Name,” which would mean something similar to “forever grateful,” or “greatest thanks.”

Nowadays, people tend to use the term much obliged as somewhat of a meme, putting the phrase as text on photos of cowboys, or high class characters like Jay Gatsby, to show a fun, cheeky way of expressing gratitude to their friends. These memes are used in casual speak, so the juxtaposition of a casual meme with a formal or archaic phrase like much obliged creates comedy for the recipient.

What is the origin of much obliged?

According to 7ESL, the idiomatic way of saying thank you, “much obliged,” originated in the 1560s and was widely used throughout the 1500s and 1600s as a way of expressing thanks. Phrases.org.uk states that its earliest seen usage in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1548. The quotation is as follows:

“’Chron. Henry VII’ yf yt chaunce me by your ayde… to recover… I… shalbe so much obliged and bounde unto you.”

This sentence means, in layman’s terms, that if the person the letter is addressed to helps the author to recover, he will forever be in said person’s debt. While back then it was used to express a literal indebtedness, now it is said in reference to smaller favors or services, where the indebtedness is figurative rather than literal.

The word obliged, according to Open.edu, has a common etymology to many other words meaning thank you, such as the Portuguese muito obrigado, or the Spanish obligado meaning obligated. These both come form the Latin obligo, meaning bound in obligation. Oblige was initially seen around 1300 according to Etymonline, and can also be rooted in the Latin obligare, meaning to bind or bangage. This takes on the figurative meaning of binding someone to a debt. French has a similar word, obliger, meaning to commit or obligate onself to do something, or to make a promise.

What are synonyms of much obliged?

Much obliged has many synonyms that are more common in modern usage. Thesaurus lists many of these, and their definitions, provided by Oxford Languages, are below next to the words and phrases.

· Thank you – A phrase used to express gratitude.

· Thanks – A casual expression of gratitude.

· Cheers – A British informal exclamation used to express gratitude or acknowledgement.

· Thank you kindly – A polite idiom expressing thanks.

· Contented – An adjective meaning happy or at ease.

· Grateful – An adjective meaning appreciative or thankful, or archaically, welcome.

· Indebted – An adjective meaning owing gratitude for a favor.

· Overwhelmed (with gratitude) – Being struck by a strong emotional affect.

· Relieved – An adjective meaning not feeling distressed or anxious any longer.

· Satisfied – An adjective meaning content or pleased.

· Pleased – An adjective meaning pleasured or satisfied.

· Gratified – Having pleasure or satisfaction.

· Beholden – An adjective meaning to have a duty to someone, or owing them thanks in return for an act.

How can much obliged be used in a sentence?

Much obliged is often used as a response to a kindness, but can also be used in the middle of a sentence. Below are two examples of conversations in which the phrase much obliged is appropriate.

Dr. Holly is going to check on a patient, Harry, whom she performed an appendectomy on. Harry’s eyes light up when Dr. Holly, the woman who saved his life, enters the room. Before she can get a word out, Harry says, “Doctor, I really can’t thank you enough for saving my life. Much obliged!” Dr. Holly smiles at him—all in a day’s work.

Terry and Linda are writing their wedding invitations to their friends and family. The invitation reads, “We would be much obliged if you would join us for our wedding ceremony and reception on January the 21st.” Here, much obliged is used mid-sentence to express gratitude.

Overall, much obliged is an idiom used to express gratitude. It literally means that one is now indebted or obliged to another. It is seen as a formal phrase, though its usage si common in British or Southern American English.

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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.