rebellious
Americanadjective
-
defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.
- Synonyms:
- contumacious, disobedient, refractory, rebel, seditious, mutinous, insurgent, defiant
-
pertaining to or characteristic of rebels or rebellion.
-
(of things) resisting treatment; refractory.
adjective
-
showing a tendency towards rebellion
-
(of a problem, etc) difficult to overcome; refractory
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- half-rebellious adjective
- half-rebelliously adverb
- half-rebelliousness noun
- nonrebellious adjective
- nonrebelliously adverb
- nonrebelliousness noun
- quasi-rebellious adjective
- quasi-rebelliously adverb
- rebelliously adverb
- rebelliousness noun
- semirebellious adjective
- semirebelliously adverb
- semirebelliousness noun
- unrebellious adjective
- unrebelliously adverb
- unrebelliousness noun
Etymology
Origin of rebellious
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin rebelliōsus, from Latin rebelli(ō) “war renewal, revolt” ( rebellion ) + -ōsus -ous
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.
In 1985 he joined the popular BBC Children's series Grange Hill, playing rebellious first-year Robbie Wright and was in the show until 1989.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
“Then suddenly, this burst on the scene in January,” more rebellious than ever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Jimenez, who says she was an angsty teen, most closely identifies with the rebellious Mira.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
He walked away with $50,000, and child-star Olsen got a rebellious rebrand.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
I do not want to be Maxine’s experiment, charity case, or rebellious backlash against her mother.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
