Definitions

rebellious

[ri-bel-yuhs] / rɪˈbɛl jəs /

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.

Ms. Kuin, a classicist at the University of Virginia, presents many of them in “Diogenes: The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

The "Toxic" singer said her artwork was an "expression" of how she's "feeling at the moment": "Rebellious… colorful…bright…bold …spontaneous…magical."

From Fox News • Jul. 27, 2021

Rebellious teenagers and hip-hop heads weren’t the only people paying attention.

From Slate • Feb. 14, 2020

Rebellious scenes with Rey should be near-regular occurrences, not rarities.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2019

Rebellious seniors, not that worried about missing breakfast.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Vocabulary lists containing rebellious

List 7

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Fighting Words: Belli and Milit

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Tears of a Tiger

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!