BALKY Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'balky' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of balky are contrary , perverse , restive , and wayward . While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action. // a balky witness

Q: When would 'contrary' be a good substitute for 'balky'?

While in some cases nearly identical to balky , contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice. // a contrary child

Q: In what contexts can 'perverse' take the place of 'balky'?

While the synonyms perverse and balky are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal. // a perverse , intractable critic

Q: When is it sensible to use 'restive' instead of 'balky'?

Although the words restive and balky have much in common, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders. // tired soldiers growing restive

Q: When is 'wayward' a more appropriate choice than 'balky'?

The words wayward and balky can be used in similar contexts, but wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior. // a school for wayward youths

balky

adjective

ˈbȯ-kē

Definition of balky

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control a balky toddler who only seemed to know the word "no" when told to do something

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the adjective balky contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of balky are contrary, perverse, restive, and wayward. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

When would contrary be a good substitute for balky?

While in some cases nearly identical to balky, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

In what contexts can perverse take the place of balky?

While the synonyms perverse and balky are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

When is it sensible to use restive instead of balky?

Although the words restive and balky have much in common, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

When is wayward a more appropriate choice than balky?

The words wayward and balky can be used in similar contexts, but wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of balky On a drizzly Saturday morning late last month, the basement of the New Paltz United Methodist Church filled with old lamps, blunt knives, malfunctioning sound mixers and balky zippers. — ABC News, 7 June 2026 Christian Yelich missed a month with a groin strain, returned to the lineup Tuesday and then didn’t play a game again until Sunday due to his balky back. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026 Losing his grip Even with his career at its pinnacle and before his back became chronically balky, Woods found his way onto tabloid headlines. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 The Legislature should pass her plan to streamline the balky State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) for construction. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for balky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balky

Adjective

While many may remember Cooter as a gregarious good ‘ol boy, the character had a wild, rebellious side in the first season of the show.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026
In a somewhat rebellious moment, Meghan attended her first Trooping the Colour ceremony wearing an off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

Yesterday’s punk, grunge, and rebel-outsider upstarts have an uncanny way of evolving into today’s elder statesmen of respectable infamy.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
The rebel group has also intensified its attacks on troops and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

The versatile 5-in-1 scissors tackle everything from opening stubborn packaging to cutting herbs and cracking nuts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Supporters say soaring demand for electricity for AI data centers and EVs is colliding with California’s push for 100% clean power, leaving a stubborn gap in round-the-clock, low-carbon supply that should be met by nuclear.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

In 1933 Mississippi, a group of female friends forms a defiant bond.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Carlos Manuel Vesga submitted the Pluribus episode where Manousos treks up through South America while accepting no help from the hive members, a showcase of defiant pride and a good bit of physically demanding work.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of defiant

Adjective

Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.

— Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

And only DeMichelle’s Marguerite has the necessary command to bring this obstreperous monarch to heel.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
And when intelligence confirms that one of their vessels is engaged in armed smuggling operations, the president need not convene an obstreperous congressional committee before acting in such a manner to defend the American people.

— Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Definition of obstreperous

Adjective

Dozens of Russian drone incursions into Romanian airspace have occasionally caused damage and forced Romania to respond with costly fighter jet interceptions to shoot down some of the wayward drones.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Chef, a mentor to the wayward Tony, represents several people who were formative for Bourdain, including the cook and writer Howard Mitcham.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of wayward

Adjective

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, citizenship may be revoked if it was illegally procured or obtained through the concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.

— Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The emotional Moon moves through your 10th House of Career and squares the willful Sun in your 1st House of Identity.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of willful

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balks (at)

balky

ball

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“Balky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balky. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of balky

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