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

Derived Forms

• reˈbelliousness, noun
• reˈbelliously, adverb

Other Words From

• re·bellious·ly adverb
• re·bellious·ness noun
• half-re·bellious adjective
• half-re·bellious·ly adverb
• half-re·bellious·ness noun
• nonre·bellious adjective
• nonre·bellious·ly adverb
• nonre·bellious·ness noun
• quasi-re·bellious adjective
• quasi-re·bellious·ly adverb
• semi·re·bellious adjective
• semi·re·bellious·ly adverb
• semi·re·bellious·ness noun
• unre·bellious adjective
• unre·bellious·ly adverb
• unre·bellious·ness 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

It’s one predicated on a worldview that sees Ukraine as a rebellious commonwealth and not an independent democracy.

From Los Angeles Times

The artist grew up to be rebellious and insecure in equal measure, and was prone to defensive behavior.

From New York Times

Considered one of South Asia's greatest abstract painters, Gaitonde was part of a rebellious generation of artists who laid the foundation for a new era of Indian art in the mid-20th Century.

From BBC

By speaking out, they have turned into rebellious women who are condemned for their boldness.

From Salon

It has not been an absolute given that all Budget measures will actually be enacted by a rebellious and unruly governing party.

From BBC

Related Words

• alienated
• disaffected
• fractious
• recalcitrant
• restless
• turbulent
• unruly
• warring

More About Rebellious

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.

Where does rebellious come from?

The first records of the word rebellious come from the 1400s. It and related words, like rebel and rebellion, are derived from the Latin bell(um), which means “war” and is also the root of war-related words like antebellum, belligerent, and bellicose.

In general, rebellious can be used to describe anyone who challenges the established rules or the way things are. Rebellious people reject the status quo and instead play by their own rules, regardless of society’s restrictions or expectations. Teenagers who push against the boundaries set by their parents are often described as rebellious. The 1955 movie Rebel Without a Cause helped to romanticize and popularize the character of the angsty rebellious teen, played in the movie by James Dean.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of rebellious?

• rebelliousness (noun)
• rebelliously (adverb)
• rebel (noun, verb)

What are some synonyms for rebellious?

• defiant
• disobedient

What are some words that share a root or word element with rebellious? 

 

• rebellion
• bellicose
• belligerent
• antebellum

What are some words that often get used in discussing rebellious?

• teen
• teenager
• authority
• rule
• defy
• disobey
• angst

How is rebellious used in real life?

Rebellious is most commonly applied to teenagers testing their boundaries by defying their parents.

Early-2000’s high school movies gave me the unrealistic expectation that we were all going to be in teen bands and rebel against the system, but here I am with no musical ability and the most rebellious I get is wearing socks and Crocs

— Alex LaGrand (@aelagrand) January 6, 2019

I never had a rebellious phase in my teens… but I feel like I might be having one now.

— Krisena (@KrisenaComposes) January 23, 2020

i often think about this clip of anderson cooper’s reaction to finding out an ancestor of his was killed by a rebellious slave pic.twitter.com/ha4p2ijA81

— mike taddow (@taddmike) June 16, 2020

 

 

Try using rebellious!

Is rebellious used correctly in the following sentence?

He was praised as rebellious for his unquestioning acceptance of the rules.