Word
disobedient
Phoneticsdis·obe·di·ent
US/ˌdɪsəˈbidiənt/
UK/dˌɪsəʊbˈiːdiənt/
Definition
adj. not doing what someone in charge tells you to do, like a parent, teacher, or boss.
adj. refusing to obey rules, orders, or authority; deliberately not doing what is required or expected.
Examples
“The disobedient child refuses to clean his room.”
“The disobedient puppy keeps running into the street despite repeated training sessions.”
“Although often labelled disobedient, teenagers who question unfair rules may simply be developing independent moral judgment.”
Examples
simple
“The disobedient child refuses to clean his room.”
contextual
“The disobedient puppy keeps running into the street despite repeated training sessions.”
complex
“Although often labelled disobedient, teenagers who question unfair rules may simply be developing independent moral judgment.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “disobedient” in context.
Verb
01. become disobedient
“Some children become disobedient when they do not receive enough attention.”
verb + adj
02. disobedient to
“He was never disobedient to his parents when he was growing up.”
adj + prep
03. remain disobedient
“Despite several warnings, the dog remained disobedient and kept running away.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. openly disobedient
“The student became openly disobedient, refusing to follow any of the teacher's instructions.”
adv + adj
05. persistently disobedient
“The school has a policy for dealing with persistently disobedient pupils.”
adv + adj
06. wilfully disobedient
“He was dismissed for being wilfully disobedient to a direct order from his manager.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. disobedient behavior
“The captain would not tolerate any disobedient behavior on his ship.”
adj + noun
08. disobedient child
“The book offers advice on how to handle a disobedient child without shouting.”
adj + noun
09. disobedient to authority
“The group was known for being disobedient to authority and challenging the status quo.”
10. punish for being disobedient
“The soldiers were punished for being disobedient during the training exercise.”
Real-World Examples
“And Donald, the second-youngest, was Donald: ingratiating to his father, disobedient to his mother and bullying to his younger brother, stealing little Rob’s favorite toy trucks and goading him into kicking a hole in the bathroom door.” “He or she can ask lawmakers to be quiet so members can be heard, direct lawmakers to withdraw their comments, and suspend lawmakers who are deliberately disobedient.” “But now there were charges that it had become, in its new locale, a cult complete with beatings for the disobedient.” Etymology
From Middle English disobedient, dysobedyent, from Old French desobedient; morphologically, from dis- + obedient.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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