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

Other Word Forms

• rebelliously adverb
• rebelliousness noun
• half-rebellious adjective
• half-rebelliously adverb
• half-rebelliousness noun
• nonrebellious adjective
• nonrebelliously adverb
• nonrebelliousness noun
• quasi-rebellious adjective
• quasi-rebelliously adverb
• semirebellious adjective
• semirebelliously adverb
• semirebelliousness noun
• unrebellious adjective
• unrebelliously adverb
• unrebelliousness noun

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

Example Sentences

The Independent said the collection "managed to feel simultaneously romantic, rebellious and refreshingly wearable" with Anderson giving Dior a "shot of youthful energy" without losing sight of the brand's DNA.

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Begum used her return to the party to criticise Labour for suspending rebellious MPs.

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Volunteers quickly hoisted the rebellious turtle back to the shore break, where, eventually, she dove back into the waves.

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"I think we are in quite a rebellious society in this moment in time and we are in quite a divided society," Edwin Poots said.

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“We will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit and his love for the creative process,” the statement said.

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Related Words

• alienated 
• disaffected 
• fractious 
• recalcitrant 
• restless 
• turbulent 
• unruly 
• warring www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

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.