unruly

adjective

un·​ruly ˌən-ˈrü-lē How to pronounce unruly (audio)
unrulier; unruliest
: not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed
an unruly crowd
a mane of unruly hair
unruliness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for unruly

unruly, ungovernable, intractable, refractory, recalcitrant, willful, headstrong mean not submissive to government or control.

unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others.

ungovernable rage

intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

Examples of unruly in a Sentence

unruly pupils were given detention as a matter of course a camp that was known as a place where unruly youths were given their last chance to shape up
Recent Examples on the Web But especially since the start of the pandemic, store managers have taken on new challenges, navigating shifts between in-store and online purchases, higher worker turnover and sometimes unruly shoppers. Jordyn Holman, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 City officials and business owners have had to balance the billions of dollars generated by visitors with successive years of unruly crowds and spring break violence. Carlos Suarez, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 Last year, back-to-back shootings left two dead and brought unruly crowds to the streets prompting a state of emergency. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Rather than contend with the unruly faction, House leadership has opted to hold some votes under suspension of the rules. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 Vultures 1 is his most focused work in years— all the songs are complete and seemingly finished; and the tracklist is not an unruly 20+ songs. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024 There was a 492% increase in unruly passenger incidents between 2020 and 2021, when 5,973 were reported. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Wild melees, unruly crowds, brazen shootings that included two homicides, stampedes and lawless behavior – some of which were captured in viral videos on social media – ran rampant through the streets of South Beach. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024 While his subject matter tended to be different, less political, than that of Bruce, Lewis shared a similar dogged commitment and unruly spontaneity. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unruly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English unreuly, from un- + reuly disciplined, from reule rule

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unruly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unruly

Cite this Entry

“Unruly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unruly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unruly

adjective
un·​ruly ˌən-ˈrü-lē How to pronounce unruly (audio)
ˈən-
unrulier; unruliest
: not yielding easily to rule or restriction : uncontrollable
an unruly temper
an unruly horse

More from Merriam-Webster on unruly

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