revolt

English

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/
(Received Pronunciation) enPR: rĭ-vōltʹ, IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvəʊlt/
(UK) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvɒlt/
Audio (US): (file)
Rhymes: -əʊlt, -ɒlt
Hyphenation: re‧volt

Verb

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

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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 18, column 1:
  Our diſcontented Counties doe reuolt
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: for C and J 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.
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.
(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.
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 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.

Conjugation

Conjugation of revolt

infinitive	(to) revolt
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	revolt	revolted
2nd-person singular	revolt, revoltest^†	revolted, revoltedst^†
3rd-person singular	revolts, revolteth^†	revolted
plural	revolt	revolted

subjunctive	revolt	revolted

imperative	revolt	—

participles	revolting	revolted