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)

defiantShowing defiance.
Brought up to be aggressive and defiant.
disaffectedDissatisfied, especially with people in authority or a system of control.
A military plot by disaffected elements in the army.
disobedientUnwilling to submit to authority.
Larry was stern with disobedient employees.
disorderlyLacking organization; untidy.
A disorderly pile of books.
dissentientIn opposition to a majority or official opinion.
Dissentient voices were castigated as hopeless bureaucrats.
ill-affectedDiscontented as toward authority.
insubordinateNot submissive to authority.
An insubordinate attitude.
insurgentRelating to rebels.
A series of insurgent attacks.
intractableNot tractable; difficult to manage or mold.
Intractable pain.
lawlessLax in enforcing laws.
It was a lawless anarchic city.
malcontentDissatisfied and complaining or rebellious.
The malcontent generals saw their role as leaders of this counter revolution.
mutinousConsisting of or characterized by or inciting to mutiny.
Antoinette looked mutinous but she obeyed.
obstreperousNoisy and difficult to control.
Obstreperous boys.
out of controlNot worth considering as a possibility.
recalcitrantStubbornly 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.
resistantRelating to or conferring immunity (to disease or infection.
Some of the old Churches are resistant to change.
revolutionaryEngaged in or promoting political revolution.
A revolutionary discovery.
riotousHilariously funny.
Riotous times.
seditiousArousing to action or rebellion.
The letter was declared seditious.
subversiveIn opposition to a civil authority or government.
Subversive literature.
turbulent(of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence.
The turbulent sea.
uncontrollableOf persons.
Uncontrollable pain.
ungovernableOf persons.
An ungovernable impulse to run away.
unmanageableHard to control.
An unmanageable situation.
unrulyIncapable of being controlled.
Unruly teenagers.
waywardResistant 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)

apostateA 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.
characterA characteristic especially one that assists in the identification of a species.
The island is full of character.
childAn 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.
contumacyObstinate rebelliousness and insubordination; resistance to authority.
contumelyInsolent or insulting language or treatment.
The Church should not be exposed to gossip and contumely.
defiantBoldly resisting authority or an opposing force.
A defiant attitude.
disloyalDeserting your allegiance or duty to leader or cause or principle.
She was accused of being disloyal to the government.
disobedientUnwilling to submit to authority.
Larry was stern with disobedient employees.
faithlessWithout religious faith.
The faithless Benedict Arnold.
insubordinateDisposed to or engaged in defiance of established authority.
A history of insubordinate behavior.
insurgentRelating to rebels.
Alleged links with insurgent groups.
mutinousConsisting of or characterized by or inciting to mutiny.
A mutinous speech.
perfidiousDeceitful and untrustworthy.
The perfidious Judas.
rebelTake part in a rebellion renounce a former allegiance.
As I came over the hill my legs rebelled I could walk no further.
renegadeBecome a renegade.
He was a renegade and social malcontent.
resistanceThe 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.
resistantImpervious to being affected.
The new hybrid is more resistant to drought.
resistiveOf or concerning electrical resistance.
restiveBeing in a tense state.
The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.
stubbornDifficult to move, remove, or cure.
A stubborn refusal to learn from experience.
teenRelating to teenagers.
A teen idol.
traitorSomeone who betrays his country by committing treason.
He was a traitor to his own class.
traitorousRelating to or characteristic of a traitor; treacherous.
When his traitorous actions were discovered he was imprisoned.
treacherousTending to betray especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans.
A holidaymaker was swept away by treacherous currents.
treasonThe action of betraying someone or something.
Doubt is the ultimate treason against faith.
treasonableHaving the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor.
There was no evidence of treasonable activity.
turncoatA disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
They denounced him as a turncoat.
unfaithfulHaving sexual relations with someone other than your husband or wife, or your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Her husband was unfaithful.
unrulyIncapable of being controlled.
Unruly teenagers.

Leave a Comment