Synonyms of rebel

rebel 1 of 3

adjective

ˈre-bəl 

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control

today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rebellious
• defiant
• stubborn
• willful
• disobedient
• contrary
• insubordinate
• dissident
• recalcitrant
• wayward
• naughty
• mischievous
• refractory
• contumacious
• unruly
• restive
• rigid
• insurgent
• dogged
• adamant
• obstreperous
• ungovernable
• intractable
• balky
• wild
• froward
• recusant
• unrelenting
• untoward
• resistant
• mutinous
• bad
• uncontrollable
• incompliant
• rude
• obstinate
• uncooperative
• peevish
• noncooperative
• headstrong
• opinionated
• uncompromising
• implacable
• mulish
• monkeying
• negativistic
• hardheaded
• unbending
• obdurate
• nonconformist
• immovable
• pertinacious
• unmanageable
• unyielding
• fractious
• undisciplined
• disorderly
• inflexible
• adamantine
• errant
• self-willed
• impudent
• pigheaded
• insolent
• disrespectful
• wrongheaded
• perverse
• ornery
• uncouth
• discourteous
• misbehaving
• ungracious
• impertinent
• inconsiderate
• uncivil
• monkeyish
• impolite
• unmannerly
• ill-mannered
• ill-natured
• ill-bred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obedient
• cooperative
• submissive
• compliant
• docile
• amenable
• conformable
• acquiescent
• amiable
• tractable
• agreeable
• deferential
• disciplined
• behaved
• yielding
• biddable
• polite
• well-bred
• respectful
• obliging
• servile
• courteous
• slavish
• subservient
• proper
• ruly
• orderly
• obsequious
• decorous
• controllable
• manageable
• mannerly
• trainable
• kowtowing
• governable

rebel

2 of 3

noun

as in insurgent

a person who rises up against authority

the rebel would not submit peacefully, even after he was captured

Synonyms & Similar Words

• insurgent
• revolutionary
• revolter
• insurrectionist
• mutineer
• revolutionist
• anarchist
• red
• insurrectionary
• challenger
• resistant
• resister
• insubordinate
• oppositionist
• discontent
• recusant
• extremist
• defier
• radical
• refuser
• anarch
• malcontent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• patriot
• loyalist
• supporter
• counterrevolutionary
• counterinsurgent
• counterrevolutionist

rebel

3 of 3

verb

ri-ˈbel 

as in to revolt

to rise up against established authority

the colonists rebelled in the wake of an onslaught of abuses

Synonyms & Similar Words

• revolt
• mutiny
• resist
• fight
• disobey
• kick over the traces
• mock
• oppose
• defy
• revolutionize
• contest
• combat
• withstand
• buck

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follow
• submit
• comply (with)
• obey
• serve
• attend
• mind

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rebel

Adjective

Well after the first Darfur war had faded from headlines, this duo continued to put down rebel groups throughout the country through brutal methods. — Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026

Starmer had previously vowed to stand in any formal Labour leadership race triggered by rebel lawmakers who feating a 2029 election wipeout sought to replace him. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Noun

He was convicted in 2009 of human rights abuses in the fight against the rebels and, later on, corruption charges. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

History fans should look out for the climb up to the Château de Montségur, once a stronghold of the Cathar religious rebels, and scene of a bloody siege in 1244. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Verb

That suggested fans were rebelling against high prices for tickets, or transportation. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 June 2026

Male guardians of this ideological camp circulated defamatory letters from prison, denouncing me for unveiling and rebelling against mandatory veiling. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026

Phrases Containing rebel

• rebel (against)