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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractoriness
Noun
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And, of course, boarding schools themselves can be immensely silly, dominated by boys’ pranks, rebellions, and mishaps.—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
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Here are some notable uses of the Insurrection Act, usually to quell rebellions or in cases where local or state authorities were unable or unwilling to maintain order or uphold the Constitution.—
Noun
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Overnight, a show of defiance inside Venezuela from Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who posted a video to social media making his allegiances clear.—
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During her own allocution moments later, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise struck a note of defiance and introduced herself as the First Lady of Venezuela, her face appearing bruised and bandaged.—
Noun
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
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While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Noun
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At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.—
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The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.—
Noun
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Green Thumb asserted Contreras was terminated for insubordination and other reasons.—
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Their prophet, the woman who brought Shakerism from Manchester, England all the way to the American colonies in 1774, played by Amanda Seyfried, learns of the insubordination.—
Noun
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The city faces large fines and legal fees, and might even lose its zoning power to a receiver because of its recalcitrance.—
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Ukraine and its European allies have urged Trump to take tougher action in response to Russia’s recalcitrance. Applying sanctions on countries that do business with Russia will have a wide-ranging impact including on some U.S. allies and will ramp up pressure on Russia and its struggling economy.—
Noun
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In the end, her disobedience—forged in tandem with and in opposition to her tribe—felt unmoored without a fellow-Mitford’s pigtail to pull.—
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However, the dictates of a person's conscience, religion, or personal philosophy cannot justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.—
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“Refractoriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractoriness. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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