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.

Named after the Roman numerals of its rebellious 54-hole concept, LIV certainly managed to disrupt the status quo.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Over the next decade, rebellious colonists used ads to spread the word about boycotts on British products.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

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

The opening 15 minutes of Arirang have the rebellious, rap-heavy energy of the band's 2014 album, Dark & Wild.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

I was a rebellious little girl in my own quiet way, but I wasn’t so rebellious that I wanted to risk my own life or anybody else’s life.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

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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