REFRACTORINESS Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

refractoriness

noun

as in rebellion

refusal to obey I wish that new hire would grow up—she still displays the refractoriness of a two-year-old

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractoriness

Noun

Mali has previously faced insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Shakespeare’s description now appears more significant and also helps explain why the Bard’s production of Richard II in February 1601 coincided with the start of the Earl of Essex’s rebellion.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of rebellion

Noun

Additionally, occasional rule-breaking and defiance are considered a normal part of child and adolescent development.

— Elizabeth Dowdell, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
The funeral was also used to project defiance, with thousands of mourners filling Tehran and chanting for revenge.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of defiance

Noun

Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.

— Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026

Definition of willfulness

Noun

Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.

— Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026

Definition of rebelliousness

Noun

But many Catholics, including conservative and traditional ones, are opposed to the consecrations, viewing them as an act of severe disobedience to the pope that hurts the church.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
But many Catholics not in Econe, including conservative and traditional ones, opposed the consecrations as an act of severe disobedience that hurts the church.

— Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of disobedience

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Browse Nearby Words

refounds

refractoriness

refractory

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“Refractoriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractoriness. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of refractoriness

noun

Example Sentences

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