refractoriness

noun

as in rebellion
refusal to obey I wish that new hire would grow up—she still displays the refractoriness of a two-year-old

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractoriness
  1. rebellion
  2. defiance
  3. willfulness
  4. rebelliousness
  5. insubordination
  6. recalcitrance
  7. disobedience
Noun
  • The creators are describing the title as Inglourious Bastards, Quentin Tarantino’s down in the dirt revisionist World War Two movie, meets V for Vendetta, Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s anti-fascist British tale of rebellion.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • To pair the piece with Celine’s more tailored pieces like the trousers and blouse added a tonal contrast that still executed on its luxury aesthetic, though with a touch of rebellion.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and riot-control weapons against teenagers is fueling defiance and angering some parents and teachers.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The plotters could not stop the news of Yeltsin’s defiance from spreading, and the coup collapsed within three days.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • From grandmother to grandchild, these three sets of two sisters were powerful characters possessed with passion, willfulness, bravery, and devotion to each other.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.
    — Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
  • Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • She was swiftly fired, with Trump accusing her of betrayal and insubordination.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In Fernández’s version, Antíkona’s insubordination inspires a peoples’ rebellion and brings an end to Klion’s rule due to his inability to treat citizens with common decency.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of insubordination
Noun
  • The very existence of a halftime show was met with vexation and recalcitrance from fans.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Yet his recalcitrance also runs the risk of costly retribution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026
Definition of recalcitrance
Noun
  • After federal prosecutors and defense attorneys had presented all their evidence Tuesday, Morrow’s attorneys asked Orso to dismiss the three petty charges accusing her of obstruction, disruption and disobedience.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobedience
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.

Browse Nearby Words

refounds
refractoriness
refractory
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refractoriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractoriness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All