DISOBEDIENT Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

disobedient

adjective

ˌdis-ə-ˈbē-dē-ənt

Definition of disobedient

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control the disobedient child refused to eat his vegetables

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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 disobedient The news organizations also found that Garrison employees frequently removed students from their classrooms and sent them to crisis rooms when the students were upset, disobedient or aggressive. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025 But the main Putin-era methods for curtailing disobedient media proved to be lawfare and corporate takeovers. — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Sep. 2025 Kennedy Tolson is the sly queen of side-eye as the disobedient new housemaid Nancy. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025 In 2003, as the House considered an overhaul to Medicare, the party’s leadership issued threats against disobedient Republicans who saw the bill as a giveaway to pharmaceutical and insurance companies. — James D’angelo, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019 See All Example Sentences for disobedient

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disobedient

Adjective

Its central character, Missie, a rebellious young woman who joins military intelligence, was inspired by Sue, who died in 2023 at age 99.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Follow rebellious 16-year-old Holden Caufield to New York City in Catcher in the Rye, in a tale that will evoke both humor and empathy from readers in equal measure.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with rebel threats and intense population movements.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Trump has increasingly embraced Sharaa, the former commander of al Qaeda’s Nusra Front who broke ties with the global jihadist network in 2016 and led the rebel coalition that overthrew Assad.

— Reuters, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

Captured after years on the run and sentenced to life in 2017, Mladic remained defiant and unrepentant, still revered by some Serbs as a nationalist hero.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Bringing it on board with the White House’s latest effort to subdue an Iranian leadership stubbornly defiant after almost six months of war, however, is an extremely tall order.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of defiant

Browse Nearby Words

disobedience

disobedient

disobey

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“Disobedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disobedient. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of disobedient

adjective

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