rebellious

[ri-bel-yuhs] / rɪˈbɛl yəs /

ADJECTIVE

disobedient, unmanageable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

alienated disaffected fractious recalcitrant restless turbulent unruly warring

WEAK

anarchistic attacking bellicose contumacious defiant difficult disloyal disobedient disorderly dissident factious iconoclastic incorrigible individualistic insurgent insurrectionary intractable mutinous obstinate pugnacious quarrelsome radical rebel refractory resistant revolutionary rioting riotous sabotaging seditious threatening treasonable ungovernable

Antonyms

STRONGEST

happy obedient

WEAK

compliant governable manageable

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.

The novel, partly narrated by SP’s great-grandson Mohit Chopra, illuminates the character’s rebellious awakening from his family with a punched-gut-riot stew of emotions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

“Then suddenly, this burst on the scene in January,” more rebellious than ever.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

In an interview with the BBC's Mark Savage in 2024, she described Chappell as a "larger-than-life, drag queen version of myself", who allows her to be rebellious and risqué.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

He walked away with $50,000, and child-star Olsen got a rebellious rebrand.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

Sarajevo was the capital of Bosnia, a rebellious province recently annexed by Austria-Hungary, usually referred to simply as Austria.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Vocabulary lists containing rebellious

Fighting Words: Belli and Milit

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List 7

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Tears of a Tiger

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