Synonyms of rebellious

rebellious

adjective

ri-ˈbel-yəs 

1

as in insurgent

taking part in a rebellion

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• insurgent
• traitorous
• revolutionary
• mutinous
• insurrectionary
• treacherous
• seditious
• treasonous
• defiant
• disobedient
• insubordinate
• demagogic
• agitating
• recalcitrant
• unruly
• restive
• rabble-rousing
• refractory
• intractable
• ungovernable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loyal
• constant
• true
• steadfast
• staunch
• devoted
• obedient
• submissive
• true-blue
• compliant
• tractable

2

as in rebel

given to resisting authority or another's control

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rebellious

The duo leaned all the way into the era’s punk-rock aesthetic, serving the kind of rebellious, perfectly undone style that practically defined the early aughts. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026

Vivienne Westwood, who died in 2022, helped define the punk fashion movement and became internationally known for rebellious designs that challenged conventional ideas of fashion and style. — Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

Emma and Lizzie belong to a wealthy New England family and were once close, but as Lizzie and her rebellious housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps) become deeply entangled, their relationship strains. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026

The tech world has always had a self-consciously rebellious relationship with societal norms. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2026