revolt
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to break away from or rise against constituted authority, as by open rebellion; cast off allegiance or subjection to those in authority; rebel; mutiny.
to revolt against the present government.
-
to turn away in mental rebellion, utter disgust, or abhorrence (usually followed byfrom ).
He revolts from eating meat.
-
to rebel in feeling (usually followed byagainst ).
to revolt against parental authority.
-
to feel horror or aversion (usually followed byat ).
to revolt at the sight of blood.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a rebellion or uprising against authority
-
in the process or state of rebelling
verb
-
(intr) to rise up in rebellion against authority
-
(usually passive) to feel or cause to feel revulsion, disgust, or abhorrence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
revoltsimple
-
revoltssimple
-
have revoltedperfect
-
has revoltedperfect
-
am revoltingprogressive
-
are revoltingprogressive
-
is revoltingprogressive
-
have been revoltingperfect progressive
-
has been revoltingperfect progressive
Past
-
revoltedsimple
-
had revoltedperfect
-
was revoltingprogressive
-
were revoltingprogressive
-
had been revoltingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of revolt
1540–50; (v.) < Middle French revolter < Italian rivoltare to turn around < Vulgar Latin *revolvitāre, frequentative of Latin revolvere to roll back, unroll, revolve; (noun) < French révolte < Italian rivolta, derivative of rivoltare
Explanation
Revolt means to rise up against an authority in an act of rebellion. You might see an opposition group revolt against a government, or you might revolt against your oppressive 10:00 curfew. Revolt has a noun form as well to describe that kind of rebellious uprising. Your revolt is successful if you get permission to stay out past 11:00. Revolt can also mean to disgust or sicken, either physically or in terms of your sensibilities. Your stomach may revolt at the idea of eating cauliflower again. You could combine the two meanings of revolt if you stage a revolt in the kitchen to stop from having to eat vegetables that revolt you.
Vocabulary lists containing revolt
"The Sniper" by Liam O’Flaherty
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Revolution 2.0," Vocabulary from the memoir
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"When Cultures Meet"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Netflix faced a severe revolt by its own shareholders over its pursuit of Warner.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
After just 21 days in the job, Poots was forced to resign amid an internal party revolt, meaning Donaldson's chance of gaining the leadership was back on.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
Peter Flynn, a 54-year-old local electrician, likens Reform’s rise to the peasants’ revolt in 1381, when a group of disaffected rebels stormed the Tower of London.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
But he stopped short of saying how his stewardship of the November talks would break a stalemate around fossil fuels that has plagued recent COPs and sparked a revolt at the last summit in Brazil.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
The masses never revolt of their own accord, and they never revolt merely because they are oppressed.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
