George Eliot is subtly subversive: there are have-nots on every fringe, and her women collaborate in exquisitely detailed mutual oppression.
Source: tatoeba (2030675)
Subversive
//səbˈvɝsɪv//
Synonyms for "subversive" (174 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (35)
Strong matches (52)
consumptiveconvertedcriminal syndicalistcryptodeadlydefectordegeneratedemolishingdemolitionarydepredatorydesolatingdestroyingdestructivedevastatingdeviantdisastrousdisloyaldissidentdivergentdoomful
Show 30 more words
extremeextreme left-wingerextremistextremisticfactiousfatalfatefulfellow travelerfenianfifth columnfifth columnistfraternizerfratricidalfrondeurgnominiousguevaristimprovedinsubordinateinsurrectionaryinsurrectionistinsurrectointernecinejacobinleft-wing extremistleninistlunatic fringemalcontentmaoistmarxistmau-mau
Adjective(1 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (87)
maverickmetamorphosedmetastasizedmild radicalmildly radicalmodifiedmutantmutineermutineeringmutinousnihilistnihilisticnonconformistparlor bolshevikparlor pinkpinkpinkopuritanqualifiedquisling
Show 65 more words
radicalravagingrebelrebelliousrebuiltredred republicanreformedrenewedrevivedrevolterrevolutionalrevolutionaryrevolutionary juntarevolutionerrevolutionizerrioterriotousroundheadruiningruinoussaboteursans culottesans-culottesans-culottistsecurity riskseditionaryseditiousself-destructivesinn feinersubversionarysuicidalsyndicalistterroristtraitortraitoroustransformedtranslatedtransmutedtreacheroustreasonabletreasonoustrojan horsetrotskyisttrotskyiteturbulentultraultraconservativeultraistultraisticundergroundunmitigatedvandalicvandalishvandalisticvcvietcongwastefulwastingwitheringwobblyworseyankeeyankee doodleyippie
Adjective(1 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
1 entriesSynonyms
2 entriesRelated terms
2 entriesderived
10 entriesderived from
1 entriesetymologically related_to
2 entriesrelated to
10 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
31 translations across 17 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- подмолен adj (intending to subvert)
- подривен adj (intending to subvert)
Catalan
1 entries- subversiu adj (intending to subvert)
Danish
1 entries- undergravende adj (intending to subvert)
Finnish
3 entries- kumouksellinen adj (intending to subvert)
- kumouksellinen noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
- vallankumouksellinen noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
French
1 entries- subversif adj (intending to subvert)
German
1 entries- subversiv adj (intending to subvert)
Greek
2 entries- ανατρεπτικός adj (intending to subvert)
- ανατροπέας noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
Hungarian
1 entries- felforgató adj (intending to subvert)
Indonesian
1 entries- subversif adj (intending to subvert)
Māori
1 entries- maninikē adj (intending to subvert)
Polish
4 entries- burzycielski adj (intending to subvert)
- przewrotowy adj (intending to subvert)
- wywrotowy adj (intending to subvert)
- dywersant noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
Portuguese
2 entries- subversivo adj (intending to subvert)
- subversivo noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
Romanian
1 entries- subversiv adj (intending to subvert)
Russian
2 entries- подрывно́й adj (intending to subvert)
- революционер noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
Spanish
1 entries- subversivo adj (intending to subvert)
Swedish
3 entries- omstörtande adj (intending to subvert)
- subversiv adj (intending to subvert)
- samhällsomstörtare noun (a radical supporter of political or social revolution)
Ukrainian
1 entries- підривни́й adj (intending to subvert)
Sample sentences
7 total sentences available.
The lyrics seem innocent enough, but if you listen to them closely, you'll realize how subversive they really are.
Source: tatoeba (3880384)
The subversive group was dragging Algeria to the brink of utter destruction.
Source: tatoeba (11710004)
subversive influence
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.