What does rebellious mean?
Word: Rebellious
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Rebellious means refusing to follow rules or do what people in charge say.
Synonyms: insubordinate
How do you spell rebellious?
Syllables: re - bel - lious
Tricky part: Rebel has one l, but this longer word has two, and pupils often forget the second: rebelious.
Watch out for: rebelious, rebbelious, rebbellious
Memory tip: Take rebel's l and add one more before the ending: that extra l is the rebellion.
Rebellious in a sentence
Example 1: The rebellious goat chewed through its rope every single morning.
Example 2: In his rebellious phase, my brother wore odd socks to school on purpose.
Example 3: The band wrote a rebellious song about being told to tidy up.
Fun Fact
The noun rebel and the verb rebel are spelt alike but said differently: REB-ul for the noun, ri-BEL for the verb. Rebellious follows the verb, with its weight on the middle part.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
rebell_o_s
a) i, o
b) y, u
c) e, u
d) i, u
Show answer
d) i, u. The ending is ious, as in curious.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
As a child my uncle was a bit lbuesliero and kept skipping his piano lessons.
a) repellent
b) rebellious
c) ridiculous
d) relentless
Show answer
b) rebellious. The b settles it: none of the other three has one.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word rebellious as used in the sentence:
The rebellious young horse refused to wear a saddle until the third week.
a) headstrong
b) defiant
c) wilful
d) obedient
Show answer
d) obedient. An obedient horse does what it is told; the other three point the other way.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt wrongly. Choose its meaning:
1. stubborn 2. unrully 3. rebellious 4. mischievous
a) unwilling to change your mind
b) hard to control and badly behaved
c) refusing to follow the rules
d) fond of playful tricks
Show answer
b) hard to control and badly behaved. Unruly has one r and one l in it; the other three are correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What might a rebellious teenager be most likely to do?
a) finish homework before it is due
b) tidy the classroom without being told
c) offer a seat to an older passenger
d) wear trainers despite the uniform rule
Show answer
d) wear trainers despite the uniform rule
2. Which of these would a rebellious pupil most likely say?
a) Nobody can make me follow that rule.
b) May I sit here, if that is all right?
c) Thank you for helping me today.
d) I will hand in my work on time.
Show answer
a) Nobody can make me follow that rule.
