rebellious

adjective

ri-ˈbel-yəs How to pronounce rebellious (audio)
Definition of rebelliousnext
1
as in insurgent
taking part in a rebellion the rebellious troops fought a pitched battle with divisions still loyal to the government

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rebel
given to resisting authority or another's control expected her son to grow a little more rebellious as he got older, but she knew he understood when to kick and when to obey

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rebellious In reality, few of the rebellious nomadic pastoralists native to the territory ever acquiesced to Moroccan imperial rule. — Hannah Rae Armstrong, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025 An aura of rebellious Britishness radiated through the bold clash of tartans, black leather motorcycle jackets, and ornate embellishments that evoked the iconic style of Pearly Kings and Queens. — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2025 The visual, shot in crisp slow motion, features Rico drenching a crowd with a water hose, embodying the rebellious spirit of the record. — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025 In addition, parents who are too strict might even end up with kids who are extra rebellious. — Taylor Grothe, Parents, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rebellious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellious
  1. insurgent
  2. rebel
  3. traitorous
  4. defiant
  5. revolutionary
  6. stubborn
Adjective
  • The photograph depicts a foot soldier in an insurgent religious movement trying to storm the halls of American power.
    — John Blake, CNN, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Burrows' win marks a defeat for the insurgent right wing of the GOP that eschewed working with Democrats.
    — Shafaq Patel, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Definition of insurgent
Adjective
  • In January, the conflict sharply escalated, as Rwandan troops and their M23 rebel allies took control of Bukavu and Goma, the biggest city in eastern Congo.
    — Jason K. Stearns, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Her character evolves throughout the series from a superficial adherent to the Capitol’s cruel system to a rebel sympathizer who comes to care deeply for Katniss and Peeta, representing the potential for change even among those benefiting from oppression. 10.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • But what will their first move as a traitorous duo be?
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The blame for this terrifying scenario, McCarthy declared, rested with traitorous federal employees, who had sold their country out and had to be purged from its service.
    — Made by History, TIME, 9 Feb. 2025
Definition of traitorous
Adjective
  • Their bleeding champion — at the time a former and future president — raises a defiant fist.
    — John Scott Lewinski, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
  • After being yelled at, children often feel defiant, defensive, and disconnected from their parent.
    — Daryl Austin, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • The same is true of Ramaswamy, who seems to not realize that whatever revolutionary new drugs and treatments his biotech startups might produce will not simply appear magically in the marketplace ready to take on some of society’s most intractable diseases.
    — Jeffery Vacante, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The trouble for Trump is that Columbia, despite its history of student activism, does not really fit the right-wing image of a revolutionary institution bent on D.E.I. indoctrination.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of revolutionary
Adjective
  • One daughter, loving but stubborn, leaves for Vilna to study nursing.
    — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The true top is still stubborn, though: In 2023 women made up just over 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 9% of the FTSE CEOs, and 5.4% of CEOs of the S&P Global Broad Market Index.
    — Kweilin Ellingrud, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of stubborn

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Cite this Entry

“Rebellious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellious. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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