respectful
[adjective]
Synonyms: polite, civil, courteous, deferential, mannerly, reverent, well-mannered

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Antonyms: disrespectful
Contrasted words: abusive, insolent, insulting, offensive, contemptuous, impudent, irreverent, rude
Related Words: reverent, reverential, venerating, attentive, civil, courteous, gracious, polite

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English Thesaurus: polite, well-mannered, well-behaved, courteous, respectful, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

re‧spect‧ful /rɪˈspektfəl/ adjective
[Word Family: noun: respect ≠ disrespect, respectability, respecter, respectfulness; adjective: respectable, respected, respectful ≠ disrespectful, respective; adverb: respectably, respectfully ≠ disrespectfully, respectively; verb: respect ≠ disrespect]
feeling or showing respect Antonym : disrespectful:
They listened in respectful silence.
respectful of
He was always respectful of my independence.
—respectfully adverb
—respectfulness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

respectful
adjective
BAD: Some former prisoners are now respectful citizens.
GOOD: Some former prisoners are now respectable citizens.
BAD: If you wish to make a good impression, you'll have to look a bit more respectful.
GOOD: If you wish to make a good impression, you'll have to look a bit more respectable.

Usage Note:
respectful = having or showing respect for someone, especially someone older than you or senior to you: 'The principal has warned him that unless he shows a more respectful attitude towards his teachers, he will have to leave.'
respectable = displaying socially acceptable standards in appearance or behaviour: 'Surprisingly, many of these young offenders come from respectable families.' 'Nobody is going to give you a job unless you make yourself look a bit more respectable.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

polite behaving or speaking in a way that is correct for the social situation you are in, and showing that you are careful to consider other people’s needs and feelings:
He was too polite to ask how old she was.
‘Excuse me, sir,’ she said in a polite voice.
well-mannered having good manners and knowing the correct way to behave in social situations:
She was beautifully dressed and very well-mannered.
well-behaved polite and not causing any trouble – used about children or animals:
The children were very well-behaved.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome at the hotel.
courteous /ˈkɜːtiəs $ ˈkɜːr-/ polite and respectful, and behaving rather formally:
The hotel staff were very courteous and helpful.
a courteous reply
respectful polite and treating someone with respect:
He was very respectful towards all my relatives.
‘Thank you,’ he said with a respectful bow.
civil polite in a formal way, especially when you do not feel very friendly towards someone:
She’d never liked her father-in-law, but she forced herself to be civil to him.
When you’ve stopped arguing, you might be able to have a civil conversation.
deferential formal polite towards someone, especially because they are in a more important social position:
In those days women were expected to be deferential to men.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲