rebellious

adjective

re·bel·lious ri-ˈbel-yəs

Synonyms of rebellious next

: given to or engaged in rebellion

rebellious troops

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a rebel or rebellion

a rebellious speech

: resisting treatment or management : refractory

rebelliously adverb

rebelliousness noun

Example Sentences

the rebellious troops fought a pitched battle with divisions still loyal to the government 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

Recent Examples on the Web The other problem is that AI, which synthesizes existing data sets, would seem to be at a disadvantage if the goal is to generate edgy, boundary-pushing outputs: innovative gags, rebellious conceits, unpredictable tonal decisions. —

Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 June 2023 Director Orson Krennic Anybody in middle management can relate to this Imperial officer who's saddled with getting a big project up and running (in his case, the first Death Star), forced to deal with uncaring bosses and winds up having some rebellious types screw the whole thing up. 51. —

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023 Out of curiosity — and possibly rebellious spite to prove she’s not broken — Ella flakes on her next big gig to secretly stay at the institution. —

Courtney Howard, Variety, 26 Apr. 2023 Full of fashionable paradoxes, the collection ranges from romantic to rebellious aesthetics, inspired by an iconic 2000s throwback. —

Briannah Rivera, Seventeen, 11 Apr. 2023 Pirate Enlightenment is fired by the same rebellious temper. —

Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 11 Apr. 2023 Abiy finally signed a peace deal with rebellious forces from the northern region of Tigray in November, after a two-year civil war there claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. —

Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023 One thing that shows up in several of the movies Kennedy watched is the tale of the rebellious loner who’s ready to take on the whole world. —

Matt Novak, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 After a troubled and rebellious youth, she was arrested in 1976 for marijuana possession and held up as a cautionary tale by Brazil’s military dictatorship. —

Alex Williams, New York Times, 10 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebellious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.