disobedient
Someone who's disobedient doesn't follow the rules. If your dog won't sit, stay, or heel, you can describe her as disobedient.
When you refuse to obey someone in authority, you're disobedient. A frustrated substitute teacher might describe the entire second grade class as disobedient, and you may try to train your cat to use the toilet but find her to be a disobedient pet. The word comes from combining obedient — with its root of oboedientem, Latin for "obey," — with the prefix dis, or "do the opposite of."
Definitions of disobedient
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unwilling to submit to authority
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synonyms:
unruly
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insubordinate
not submissive to authority
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insubordinate
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not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority“disobedient children”
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Synonyms:
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incorrigible
impervious to correction by punishment
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defiant, noncompliant
boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
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bad
having undesirable or negative qualities
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difficult, unmanageable
hard to control
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contrary, obstinate, perverse, wayward
resistant to guidance or discipline
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fractious, recalcitrant, refractory
stubbornly resistant to authority or control
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froward, headstrong, self-willed, wilful, willful
habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
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recusant
refusing to submit to authority
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obstinate, stubborn, unregenerate
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
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intractable
not tractable; difficult to manage or mold
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Antonyms:
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obedient
dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority
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compliant
disposed or willing to comply
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submissive
inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination
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good
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
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manageable
capable of being managed or controlled
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acquiescent, biddable
willing to carry out the orders or wishes of another without protest
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conformable
quick to comply
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duteous, dutiful
willingly obedient out of a sense of duty and respect
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Y2K compliant
prepared to accurately process date and time data between and into the 20th and 21st centuries
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docile
willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed
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manipulable, tractable
easily managed (controlled or taught or molded)
- show more antonyms...
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incorrigible
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘disobedient'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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