Word Study
rebellious
CIDE DICTIONARY
rebellious, a.
Engaged in rebellion; disposed to rebel; of the nature of rebels or of rebellion; resisting government or lawful authority by force. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
rebellious, adj.
1 tending to rebel, insubordinate.
2 in rebellion.
3 defying lawful authority.
4 (of a thing) unmanageable, refractory.
1 tending to rebel, insubordinate.
2 in rebellion.
3 defying lawful authority.
4 (of a thing) unmanageable, refractory.
Derivative
rebelliously adv. rebelliousness n.
Etymology
ME f. REBELLION + -OUS or f. earlier rebellous + -IOUS
THESAURUS
rebellious
alienated, beefing, bellyaching, bitching, breakaway, complaining, complaintful, contumacious, crabbing, crabby, cranky, croaking, defiant, difficult, disaffected, disappointed, discontented, disgruntled, disobedient, displeased, disputatious, disputing, dissatisfied, dissentient, dissenting, envious, estranged, extreme, extremistic, factious, faultfinding, fractious, griping, grouchy, grousing, growling, grumbling, incorrigible, insubordinate, insurgent, insurrectionary, malcontent, malcontented, murmuring, mutineering, mutinous, muttering, noncooperative, objecting, obstinate, obstructive, on the barricades, out of humor, peevish, petulant, proof against, protesting, querulant, querulous, rebel, recalcitrant, refractory, reluctant, renitent, repellent, resentful, resistant, resisting, resistive, restive, restless, retardant, retardative, revolutional, revolutionary, riotous, seditionary, seditious, stubborn, subversive, sulky, traitorous, treasonable, turbulent, unaccepting, unaccommodating, uncooperative, uneasy, unfulfilled, ungovernable, ungratified, unhappy, unmanageable, unruly, unsatisfied, unsubmissive, unyielding, up in arms, whiny, withstandingFor further exploring for "rebellious" in Webster Dictionary Online