revolt
Americanverb (used without object)
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revolts,
present (3rd person singular)
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revolted,
past participle, past
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revolting
present participle
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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.
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to turn away in mental rebellion, utter disgust, or abhorrence (usually followed byfrom ).
He revolts from eating meat.
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to rebel in feeling (usually followed byagainst ).
to revolt against parental authority.
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to feel horror or aversion (usually followed byat ).
to revolt at the sight of blood.
verb (used with object)
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revolts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
revolted,
past participle, past
-
revolting
present participle
noun
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a rebellion or uprising against authority
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in the process or state of rebelling
verb
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(intr) to rise up in rebellion against authority
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(usually passive) to feel or cause to feel revulsion, disgust, or abhorrence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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revoltsimple
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revoltssimple
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have revoltedperfect
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has revoltedperfect
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am revoltingprogressive
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are revoltingprogressive
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is revoltingprogressive
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have been revoltingperfect progressive
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has been revoltingperfect progressive
Past
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revoltedsimple
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had revoltedperfect
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was revoltingprogressive
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were revoltingprogressive
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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
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"Revolution 2.0," Vocabulary from the memoir
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"When Cultures Meet"
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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.
See Examples For:
When the district announced the ban on Facebook last month, there were rumors of a student revolt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The ploughman wants to play by the rules, but it’s how the revolt plays out that radicalizes him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
A fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field after a passenger revolt.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
A hundred years later, Owain Glyndŵr instigated a 15-year revolt against the rule of King Henry IV and claimed the title Prince of Wales, before Wales was reconquered by the English.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“They like to revolt in the summer. Makes ’em itchy.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
It was also a time when various European empires were reaching their peak yet faced republican or nationalistic revolts.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
Speaking to other militia members who joined the revolts of Bundy and his father, The Atlantic found that Ammon was an outlier in his own community.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026
Moreover, history suggests that foreign support has rarely been the determining factor in helping popular revolts topple autocratic leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
"All these movements and revolts have brought us to this point. And I think it's time to put an end to it."
From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026
I fledged in San Francisco, climbed its hills, slept in its parks, worked on its docks, marched and shouted in its revolts.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
There was one heavily affected community that revolted whenever the group tried to enter.
From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2026
Within weeks of the election, roughly three-quarters of the TMC's legislators revolted against both Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, widely seen as her heir.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
When consumers revolted against excessive costs and volumes dipped, companies like PepsiCo and General Mills pivoted to aggressive promotions to regain market share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
The last time Chief Executive Bob Iger handed over the reins, the plan backfired, executives revolted, his replacement got bounced and Iger returned to lead the storied entertainment giant for another four years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026
I shuddered as I bent over to touch him, and every sense in me revolted at the contact; but I had to search, or I was lost.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
And so, as these fighters walked stone-faced to the octagon, we bore witness to the revolting spectacle of the troops saluting fighters.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
Across Southern California, residents are revolting against bright LEDs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
The new policy is an attempt to be “flexible” as situations change, the company said, but some shareholders appear to be revolting.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
BOSTON—The home of a famous 1773 tea party is revolting again, this time over coffee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
To Adam who was an instrument, who saw not the future farms but only the torn bellies of fine humans, it was revolting and useless.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
