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

The 48-year-old chose the southwestern city, which has been hit hard by drug violence and attacks from rebel groups, as the site of his swearing-in. — Manuel Rueda, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026

When the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against Putin, in 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that then security council chief Nikolai Patrushev, age 75, orchestrated the plane crash that killed the rebel leader. — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026

Noun

Tehran gave its full support to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which rebels who were backed by Ankara and Riyadh overthrew in 2024. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown that spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive. — Ghaith Alsayed, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Verb

Those super-smart chimps, gorillas, and orangutans eventually evolved and rebelled against their human masters. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 July 2026

Fans didn’t like the new logo and also rebelled against the store redesigns. — Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Phrases Containing rebel

• rebel (against)