rebellious

[ri-bel-yuhs]

adjective

1. defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.

   Synonyms: contumacious, disobedient, refractory, rebel, seditious, mutinous, insurgent, defiant

2. pertaining to or characteristic of rebels or rebellion.

3. (of things) resisting treatment; refractory.

rebellious

/ rɪˈbɛljəs /

adjective

1. showing a tendency towards rebellion

2. (of a problem, etc) difficult to overcome; refractory

Other Word Forms

• rebelliousness noun
• rebelliously adverb
• half-rebellious adjective
• half-rebelliously adverb
• half-rebelliousness noun
• nonrebellious adjective
• nonrebelliously adverb
• nonrebelliousness noun
• quasi-rebellious adjective
• quasi-rebelliously adverb
• semirebellious adjective
• semirebelliously adverb
• semirebelliousness noun
• unrebellious adjective
• unrebelliously adverb
• unrebelliousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rebellious¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin rebelliōsus, from Latin rebelli(ō) “war renewal, revolt” ( rebellion ) + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

I listened to “Pollinator,” and I really loved this very fresh, almost rebellious sound that permeated the music.

From Los Angeles Times

Most viewers, however, care less about the ridiculousness that ensues than the motivating factor that drives them to this choice, a rebellious response to Samir and Michael’s nonsensical downsizing.

From Salon

In short, it's the rebellious royal of pop culture - too popular to ignore, too controversial to honour.

From BBC

Sometimes the most rebellious thing one can do is read a book.

From Los Angeles Times

Labour was supposed to have weeded out troublesome candidates, such as those close to the Jeremy Corbyn leadership, those with rebellious tendencies and dodgy social media histories.

From BBC

Related Words

• alienated 
• disaffected 
• fractious 
• recalcitrant 
• restless 
• turbulent 
• unruly 
• warring www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

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.