rebellious spirit
Refusal to conform
A rebellious spirit is a disposition toward defiance and resistance to authority.
The phrase describes someone inclined to challenge rules, conventions, or established power—not a single act of rebellion but an ongoing temperament: She had a rebellious spirit that made her question everything.
It often carries admiration, suggesting independence and courage rather than mere troublemaking.
- wild childUnruly young person
- anti-war movementsOrganized opposition to armed conflict
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- raised fistClenched hand elevated defiantly
- fight the powerResist dominant authority
counterculture · defiance · anti-colonialism · suffragism · feminism · abolitionism · independence · speak truth · black flag · subversion · activism · underground movements · civil disobedience · anarchy · iconoclasm · punk rock · dissent · heresy
rebellious spiritobedience
Compliance with authority
submissiveness · docility · compliance · deference · subservience
rebellious spiritconformity
Adherence to norms
conventionality · orthodoxy · herd mentality · groupthink · going along to get along
rebellious spiritpassivity
State of non-resistance
resignation · acceptance · complacency · rolling over · traditionalism