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, as a heterosexual couple, wasn’t living in sin our final, sole, tiny act of rebellion?—
Eva Wiseman,
Vogue,
7 May 2026 -
Call it a small rebellion against clocks—the things leftists call capitalism’s tool for controlling workers’ time—or just blame Los Angeles traffic.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
There was elegant defiance this week as Pat Riley in an opening statement answered the question before it could be asked at his annual season-ending media session.—
Greg Cote
April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Forced into an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher living on the margins of society (Kellyman), the two women fight back, turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit, and defiance.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
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Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
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The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The supervisor wanted to impose a three-day suspension for insubordination.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Cherry Creek also struck a deal earlier this month for Assistant Superintendent Tony Poole to retire this summer after being placed on administrative leave for alleged insubordination.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Apple’s always emerging — from a depressive fog, from some volcanic fugue, from recalcitrance, from fear, from disappointment, from being too inside herself.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The singer for the latter band, Liam Gallagher, disavowed the Rock Hall when his band was previously twice nominated, but the nominating committee did not hold his recalcitrance against him this year.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Fernando Melo Flores, a 40-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography, one felony count of unauthorized computer access, and one misdemeanor count of willful disobedience of a court order.—
Ryanne Mena,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
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Others mistakenly describe these acts as flakiness, disobedience, laziness, or personal failure in the absence of context.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Refractoriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractoriness. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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