rebellious

  • 1Rebellious — Re*bel lious (r[ e]*b[e^]l y[u^]s), a. Engaged in rebellion; disposed to rebel; of the nature of rebels or of rebellion; resisting government or lawful authority by force. Thy rebellious crew. Proud rebellious arms. Milton. {Re*bel lious*ly}, adv …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2rebellious — [ri bel′yəs] adj. [ME rebellous] 1. resisting authority; engaged in rebellion 2. of or like rebels or rebellion 3. opposing any kind of control; defiant 4. difficult to treat or handle [a rebellious cowlick] rebelliously adv. rebelliousness n …

    English World dictionary

  • 3rebellious — index contumacious, disobedient, disorderly, dissident, fractious, froward, impertinent (insolent) …

    Law dictionary

  • 4rebellious — (adj.) mid 15c., from L. rebellis (see REBEL (Cf. rebel)). Related: Rebelliously; rebelliousness …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5rebellious — *insubordinate, mutinous, seditious, factious, contumacious Analogous words: recalcitrant, refractory, intractable, *unruly, ungovernable: estranged, alienated, disaffected (see ESTRANGE) Antonyms: acquiescent, resigned: submissive …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6rebellious — [adj] disobedient, unmanageable alienated, anarchistic, attacking, bellicose, contumacious, defiant, difficult, disaffected, disloyal, disobedient, disorderly, dissident, factious, fractious, iconoclastic, incorrigible, individualistic, insurgent …

    New thesaurus

  • 7rebellious — ► ADJECTIVE 1) showing a desire to rebel. 2) not easily handled or kept in place; unmanageable. DERIVATIVES rebelliously adverb rebelliousness noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8rebellious — [[t]rɪbe̱liəs[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED If you think someone behaves in an unacceptable way and does not do what they are told, you can say they are rebellious. ...a rebellious teenager... He grew older and more rebellious. Derived words: rebelliousness …

    English dictionary

  • 9rebellious — re|bel|lious [rıˈbeljəs] adj 1.) deliberately not obeying people in authority or rules of behaviour ▪ rebellious teenagers ▪ He s always had a rebellious streak (=a tendency to rebel) . 2.) fighting against the government of your own country ▪… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10rebellious — adjective 1 deliberately disobeying: rebellious teenagers | rebellious behaviour 2 fighting against the government of your country: rebellious warlords rebelliously adverb rebelliousness noun (U) …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English