REBELLIOUS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for REBELLIOUS?

Need another word that means the same as “rebellious”? Find 27 synonyms and 30 related words for “rebellious” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Rebellious” are: disaffected, ill-affected, malcontent, defiant, disobedient, insubordinate, unruly, ungovernable, unmanageable, uncontrollable, turbulent, mutinous, wayward, obstreperous, recalcitrant, refractory, intractable, resistant, dissentient, insurgent, disorderly, lawless, out of control, riotous, revolutionary, seditious, subversive

Rebellious as an Adjective

Definitions of "Rebellious" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “rebellious” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• (of a thing) not easily controlled or kept in place.
• Showing a desire to resist authority, control, or convention.
• Participating in organized resistance to a constituted government.
• Discontented as toward authority.
• Resisting control or authority.
• Engaged in opposition or armed resistance to an established government or leader.

Synonyms of "Rebellious" as an adjective (27 Words)

defiant	Showing defiance. Brought up to be aggressive and defiant.
disaffected	Dissatisfied, especially with people in authority or a system of control. A military plot by disaffected elements in the army.
disobedient	Unwilling to submit to authority. Larry was stern with disobedient employees.
disorderly	Lacking organization; untidy. A disorderly pile of books.
dissentient	In opposition to a majority or official opinion. Dissentient voices were castigated as hopeless bureaucrats.
ill-affected	Discontented as toward authority.
insubordinate	Not submissive to authority. An insubordinate attitude.
insurgent	Relating to rebels. A series of insurgent attacks.
intractable	Not tractable; difficult to manage or mold. Intractable pain.
lawless	Lax in enforcing laws. It was a lawless anarchic city.
malcontent	Dissatisfied and complaining or rebellious. The malcontent generals saw their role as leaders of this counter revolution.
mutinous	Consisting of or characterized by or inciting to mutiny. Antoinette looked mutinous but she obeyed.
obstreperous	Noisy and difficult to control. Obstreperous boys.
out of control	Not worth considering as a possibility.
recalcitrant	Stubbornly resistant to authority or control. A class of recalcitrant fifteen year olds.
refractory	(of a substance) resistant to heat; hard to melt or fuse. It will treat ores considered refractory to normal flotation methods.
resistant	Relating to or conferring immunity (to disease or infection. Some of the old Churches are resistant to change.
revolutionary	Engaged in or promoting political revolution. A revolutionary discovery.
riotous	Hilariously funny. Riotous times.
seditious	Arousing to action or rebellion. The letter was declared seditious.
subversive	In opposition to a civil authority or government. Subversive literature.
turbulent	(of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence. The turbulent sea.
uncontrollable	Of persons. Uncontrollable pain.
ungovernable	Of persons. An ungovernable impulse to run away.
unmanageable	Hard to control. An unmanageable situation.
unruly	Incapable of being controlled. Unruly teenagers.
wayward	Resistant to guidance or discipline. His wayward emotions.

Usage Examples of "Rebellious" as an adjective

• A rebellious crew.
• Temperamentally rebellious.
• The rebellious republics.
• I became very rebellious and opted out.
• He smoothed back a rebellious lock of hair.

Associations of "Rebellious" (30 Words)

apostate	A disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. After fifty years as an apostate he returned to the faith.
character	A characteristic especially one that assists in the identification of a species. The island is full of character.
child	An immature childish person. He remained a child in practical matters as long as he lived.
contumacious	(especially of a defendant’s behaviour) stubbornly or wilfully disobedient to authority. His refusal to make child support payments was contumacious.
contumacy	Obstinate rebelliousness and insubordination; resistance to authority.
contumely	Insolent or insulting language or treatment. The Church should not be exposed to gossip and contumely.
defiant	Boldly resisting authority or an opposing force. A defiant attitude.
disloyal	Deserting your allegiance or duty to leader or cause or principle. She was accused of being disloyal to the government.
disobedient	Unwilling to submit to authority. Larry was stern with disobedient employees.
faithless	Without religious faith. The faithless Benedict Arnold.
insubordinate	Disposed to or engaged in defiance of established authority. A history of insubordinate behavior.
insurgent	Relating to rebels. Alleged links with insurgent groups.
mutinous	Consisting of or characterized by or inciting to mutiny. A mutinous speech.
perfidious	Deceitful and untrustworthy. The perfidious Judas.
rebel	Take part in a rebellion renounce a former allegiance. As I came over the hill my legs rebelled I could walk no further.
renegade	Become a renegade. He was a renegade and social malcontent.
resistance	The degree to which a substance or device opposes the passage of an electric current causing energy dissipation By Ohm s law resistance measured in ohms is equal to the voltage divided by the current. He encountered a general feeling of resistance from many citizens.
resistant	Impervious to being affected. The new hybrid is more resistant to drought.
resistive	Of or concerning electrical resistance.
restive	Being in a tense state. The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.
stubborn	Difficult to move, remove, or cure. A stubborn refusal to learn from experience.
teen	Relating to teenagers. A teen idol.
traitor	Someone who betrays his country by committing treason. He was a traitor to his own class.
traitorous	Relating to or characteristic of a traitor; treacherous. When his traitorous actions were discovered he was imprisoned.
treacherous	Tending to betray especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans. A holidaymaker was swept away by treacherous currents.
treason	The action of betraying someone or something. Doubt is the ultimate treason against faith.
treasonable	Having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor. There was no evidence of treasonable activity.
turncoat	A disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. They denounced him as a turncoat.
unfaithful	Having sexual relations with someone other than your husband or wife, or your boyfriend or girlfriend. Her husband was unfaithful.
unruly	Incapable of being controlled. Unruly teenagers.