backbone; spirit of defiance; unyielding spirit
Refers to a strong, independent mindset that refuses to submit to authority or conform. Often used in positive contexts to describe someone with moral courage and a rebellious, principled character.
With a spirit of defiance, he stood up to his boss's wrongdoing.
I want to stick to my beliefs without losing my rebellious spirit.
Standard kanji spelling. 反骨 means 'rebellious spirit' or 'unyielding character'.
Variant using 叛 (rebel) instead of 反. Less common; may carry a stronger connotation of treason or revolt.
Compound of 反骨 (rebellious spirit, from 反 'anti-' + 骨 'bone') and 精神 (spirit, mind). The phrase literally means 'the spirit of a rebellious bone', metaphorically describing an unyielding character.