revolt

Etymology

Borrowed from French révolter, from Italian rivoltare, itself either from ri- with the verb voltare, or possibly from a Vulgar Latin *revoltāre < *revolvitāre, for *revolūtāre, frequentative of Latin revolvō (“roll back”) (through its past participle revolūtus).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: rĭ-vōltʹ; IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvoʊlt/

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• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvəʊlt/, /ɹɪˈvɒlt/
• Rhymes: -əʊlt, -ɒlt
• Hyphenation: re‧volt

Verb

revolt (third-person singular simple present revolts, present participle revolting, simple past and past participle revolted)

1. To rebel, particularly against authority.

   The farmers had to revolt against the government to get what they deserved.

   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 18, column 1:

     Our diſcontented Counties doe reuolt

2. To repel greatly.

   Your brother revolts me!

   • 1796–1797, Edmund Burke, “Letters on a Regicide Peace, Continued from Vol. VIII. Letter IV. To the Earl Fitzwilliam.”, in [Walker King], editor, The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, new edition, volume IX, London: […] [R. Gilbert] for C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], published 1826, →OCLC, page 118:

     I shall be told, that this abominable medley is made rather to revolt young and ingenuous minds.

   • 1870, John Morley, Condorcet (published in the Fortnightly Review

     To derive delight from what inflicts pain on any sentient creature revolted his conscience and offended his reason.

3. To cause to turn back; to roll or drive back; to put to flight.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 567:

     The foring clouds into fad fhowres y molt; / So to her yold the flames, and did their force reuolt.

4. (intransitive) To be disgusted, shocked, or grossly offended; hence, to feel nausea; used with at.

   The stomach revolts at such food; his nature revolts at cruelty.

5. To turn away; to abandon or reject something; specifically, to turn away, or shrink, with abhorrence.
   • 1673, John Milton, “[Sonnet] XII. On the Same [Tetrachordon].”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], →OCLC, page 57:

     And ſtill revolt when truth would ſet them free.

   • 1886, John Morley, The Life of Turgot:

     His clear intelligence revolted from the dominant sophisms of that time.

Noun

revolt (countable and uncountable, plural revolts)

1. An act of revolting.

   Synonyms: armed revolt, insurrection, rebellion

   — It's a revolt?

   — No, Sire, it's a revolution...

Related terms

Anagrams

• volter

Etymology

From older revoldre, from Latin revolūtus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [rəˈβɔl]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [rəˈvɔlt]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [reˈvɔlt]

Noun

revolt m (plural revolts)

1. turn

   Synonym: girada

2. curve, bend

   Synonym: gir

Adjective

revolt (feminine revolta, masculine plural revolts, feminine plural revoltes)

1. disordered, agitated

   Synonym: desordenat

Further reading

• “revolt” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “revolt” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “revolt”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.

Etymology

Borrowed from French révolte.

Noun

rèvolt m (Cyrillic spelling рѐволт)

1. revolt