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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

docile

Adjective

IPA /ˈdəʊsaɪl/

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Meaning in plain English

Calm and willing to be guided or controlled.

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Pronunciation

docile/ˈdəʊsaɪl/

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  1. An animal stays calm around people

  2. It willingly accepts gentle handling

A docile animal is quiet and easy to guide or control.

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Examples in context

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  1. The normally docile pony waited quietly while the child climbed on.
  2. The veterinary students practised handling a docile dog.

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The normally ________ pony waited quietly while the child climbed on.
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docile — Calm and willing to be guided or controlled.

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Calm and willing to be guided or controlled.

Compare: The normally docile pony waited quietly while the child climbed on.

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Word origin

From Latin docilis, meaning teachable, related to docere, meaning to teach.

Did you know?

The British pronunciation normally ends in /aɪl/, as in the final part of smile.

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docile

/ˈdəʊsaɪl/ (Adjective)

“Docile often describes animals. When used for people, it can suggest that they accept control too readily.”

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