English Reference
Adjective

rebellious

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ɹəˈbɛɫjəs/ UK /ɹɪbˈɛlɪəs/ re·bel·lious

adj.unwilling to obey rules or follow the orders of people in power. You use this to describe someone who fights against authority or traditional ways of doing things.

adj.showing a desire to resist authority, control, or convention. Often used to describe adolescent behavior or political opposition.


SIMPLE

The rebellious teenager refused to follow the school's dress code.

CONTEXTUAL

The company's success was built on a rebellious spirit that challenged every established rule in the industry.

COMPLEX

Historians often debate whether the uprising was a truly rebellious movement aimed at systemic change or merely a spontaneous reaction to temporary food shortages.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'remain'.

Set in 1982, Fallout is a fictionalised account of the Greenham Common protest as seen through the eyes of a rebellious 15-year-old girl.

The Guardian· 5 Sept 2026

Lewis’s name always featured in lists of Labour’s most rebellious MPs.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

From Middle English rebellious; equivalent to rebel + -ious.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English rebellious
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated