rebel

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈrɛbəl/ (noun), /rɪˈbɛl/ (verb)
• American: REH-bul (noun), rih-BELL (verb)

Origin

From Latin "rebellis" meaning "insurgent, rebellious," derived from "re-" (against) + "bellum" (war)

Meanings

1. (noun) A person who resists or rises against authority, control, or tradition
2. (verb) To resist or rise against authority, control, or convention
3. (noun) Someone who rejects conventional behavior or beliefs
4. (verb) To feel or express strong unwillingness to do something

Example Sentences

1. "The young rebel refused to follow the school dress code."
2. "The colonies rebelled against British rule in 1775."
3. "She's always been a rebel, challenging social norms."
4. "The teenagers rebelled against their parents' strict rules."

Related Words

• Forms:

  • rebelled (past tense)
  • rebelling (present participle)
  • rebels (plural)
  • rebellious (adjective)
  • rebellion (noun)
  • rebelliously (adverb)

• Synonyms:

  • insurgent
  • revolutionary
  • dissenter
  • nonconformist
  • mutineer
  • renegade

Memory Tricks

1. Think "RE + BELL" - like ringing a bell against authority
2. Remember James Dean, the famous "Rebel Without a Cause"
3. Note that as a noun, the stress is on the first syllable (REH-bul), while as a verb, it's on the second syllable (rih-BELL)
4. Associate with the phrase "rebel yell" - a battle cry of Confederate soldiers