as in rebellion
refusal to obey
her habitual rebelliousness eventually landed her in the principal's office
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of rebelliousness
At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebelliousness
Noun
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While details of Gatwa’s character are not yet known, Erivo’s Jayne is described as a trailblazing fairy whose defiant streak sparks a rebellion.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
-
From its beginning, the leaders of the rebellion well understood the global reach and resonance of their great struggle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Overnight, a show of defiance inside Venezuela from Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who posted a video to social media making his allegiances clear.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
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During her own allocution moments later, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise struck a note of defiance and introduced herself as the First Lady of Venezuela, her face appearing bruised and bandaged.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
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While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebelliousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebelliousness. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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