Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for rebellious

rebellious

[ ri-bel-yuhs ]

adjective

  1. defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.

    Synonyms: contumacious, disobedient, refractory, rebel, seditious, mutinous, insurgent, defiant

  2. pertaining to or characteristic of rebels or rebellion.
  3. (of things) resisting treatment; refractory.


rebellious

/ rɪˈbɛljəs /

adjective

  1. showing a tendency towards rebellion
  2. (of a problem, etc) difficult to overcome; refractory
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • reˈbelliousness, noun
  • reˈbelliously, adverb
Discover More

Other Words From

  • re·bellious·ly adverb
  • re·bellious·ness noun
  • half-re·bellious adjective
  • half-re·bellious·ly adverb
  • half-re·bellious·ness noun
  • nonre·bellious adjective
  • nonre·bellious·ly adverb
  • nonre·bellious·ness noun
  • quasi-re·bellious adjective
  • quasi-re·bellious·ly adverb
  • semi·re·bellious adjective
  • semi·re·bellious·ly adverb
  • semi·re·bellious·ness noun
  • unre·bellious adjective
  • unre·bellious·ly adverb
  • unre·bellious·ness noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of rebellious1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin rebelliōsus, from Latin rebelli(ō) “war renewal, revolt” ( rebellion ) + -ōsus -ous
Discover More

Example Sentences

Duda says Kaestel was someone with a rebellious streak, bereft of support or guidance from any family.

This opera star and famously rebellious romancer seduced numerous women and lived about as outlandishly as you could in the 17th century.

From Ozy

Their first single, “No More Dream,” was an ode to teen apathy, a rebellious rejection of Korean traditionalism.

From Vox

“I am proud to have been part of a rebellious band of Tribune reporters who rallied our communities and local investors behind our conviction that our cities need a strong press,” she said.

A lot of info I received when I was younger was not true, and I became very rebellious toward my family and my background.

From Time

Fenner says he saw a 12-year-old boy isolated from his parents for weeks because he was being “rebellious.”

But now everything was a good pretext to vent the rebellious mood.

“In high school, I was considered the most rebellious girl,” Perl says.

In the first chapter, rebellious Holly Sykes runs away from home and headlong into the melancholy perils of first love.

So instead of having rebellious teens, I had my rebellious 20s.

Man's enthusiasm in praise of a fellow mortal, is soon damped by the original sin of his nature—rebellious pride!

That thou shouldst make the kingdom to be divided, and out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom to rule.

Having reduced Punch to a second agony of tears Harry departed upstairs with the news that Punch was still rebellious.

The rebellious brown hair was almost in the shade of my own dashing hat-brim.

As a natural consequence her repressed but still rebellious passions diffused their poison throughout her nature.

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Rebellious

What does rebellious mean?

Rebellious is an adjective that describes someone who resists or defies rules.

Someone who acts in such a way can be called a rebel. However, the word rebel can also be used to refer to a revolutionary trying to overthrow a government. Such actions can be described as rebellious, but rebellious is much more commonly used to describe people or actions that break the rules, resist authority, or otherwise challenge the status quo. It’s especially applied to teenagers who act this way.

The noun rebelliousness refers to such behavior. The noun rebellion can refer to this, but it’s also used to refer to an attempt to overthrow a government (rebelliousness isn’t typically used this way.)

Example: Danielle was labeled rebellious for refusing to wear her uniform to school.

Where does rebellious come from?

The first records of the word rebellious come from the 1400s. It and related words, like rebel and rebellion, are derived from the Latin bell(um), which means “war” and is also the root of war-related words like antebellum, belligerent, and bellicose.

In general, rebellious can be used to describe anyone who challenges the established rules or the way things are. Rebellious people reject the status quo and instead play by their own rules, regardless of society’s restrictions or expectations. Teenagers who push against the boundaries set by their parents are often described as rebellious. The 1955 movie Rebel Without a Cause helped to romanticize and popularize the character of the angsty rebellious teen, played in the movie by James Dean.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of rebellious?

What are some synonyms for rebellious?

What are some words that share a root or word element with rebellious

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing rebellious?

How is rebellious used in real life?

Rebellious is most commonly applied to teenagers testing their boundaries by defying their parents.

 

 

Try using rebellious!

Is rebellious used correctly in the following sentence?

He was praised as rebellious for his unquestioning acceptance of the rules.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


rebellionrebellow