ungovernable

adjective

un·gov·ern·able ˌən-ˈgə-vər-nə-bəl How to pronounce ungovernable (audio)

: not capable of being governed, guided, or restrained

Example Sentences

The people there seemed almost ungovernable. a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else

Recent Examples on the Web Extremist violence was already on the rise under President Roch Marc Kaboré, rendering much of the countryside ungovernable.

Borso Tall, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Some of this is in consequence of Johnson’s own incurable temperament and ungovernable appetites.

Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New Republic, 11 July 2022 Women will become ungovernable as these unjust laws begin to be the law of the land in states across the country.

Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2022 The old nostrum that France is ungovernable may be tested again.

New York Times, 23 Apr. 2022 During his tenure, militants linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have upended life in the nation of 21 million, rendering much of the countryside ungovernable and driving at least 1.4 million people from their homes.

Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2022 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pledging to make the chamber all but ungovernable if the rules change gambit succeeds.

Stephen Collinson, CNN, 12 Jan. 2022 So listen: Right now your space, your beautiful space, your ungovernable American ether, is going bloody haywire.

James Parker, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2021 At their most cynical, sanctions are a deliberate attempt to trigger an ungovernable humanitarian crisis, which will undermine Taliban authority.

Ryan Cooper, The Week, 31 Aug. 2021 See More

ungovernable

adjective

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

rebellious
rebel
defiant
unruly
intractable
obstreperous
stubborn
restive
willful
wayward
contumacious
recalcitrant
uncontrollable
disobedient
contrary
rigid
mischievous
insubordinate
naughty
balky
refractory
incompliant
adamant
wild
insurgent
wilful
unmanageable
dogged
mutinous
untoward
froward
dissident
recusant
uncooperative
bad
rude
fractious
implacable
resistant
disorderly
peevish
obstinate
obdurate
monkeying
undisciplined
negativistic
inflexible
uncompromising
wrongheaded
unrelenting
mulish
perverse
noncooperative
immovable
pigheaded
unyielding
headstrong
opinionated
pertinacious
unbending
adamantine
uncivil
impudent
misbehaving
insolent
hardheaded
self-willed
unmannerly
uncouth
disrespectful
ungracious
errant
discourteous
nonconformist
impertinent
ornery
inconsiderate
impolite
ill-mannered
ill-bred
monkeyish
ill-natured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

docile
tractable
obedient
amiable
compliant
amenable
conformable
cooperative
submissive
biddable
agreeable
acquiescent
deferential
obliging
behaved
yielding
ruly
disciplined
governable
respectful
courteous
polite
subservient
orderly
servile
slavish
obsequious
proper
controllable
decorous
mannerly
manageable
well-bred
trainable
kowtowing

as in uncontrollable

given to resisting control or discipline by others resigned to the fact that my cat is basically is an ungovernable beast with a will of his own

Synonyms & Similar Words

uncontrollable
unmanageable
unruly
intractable
stubborn
incontrollable
rebellious
wayward
recalcitrant
difficult
willful
headstrong
refractory
wilful
naughty
undisciplined
intransigent
uncontrolled
incorrigible
froward
wild
obstinate
untoward
obdurate
perverse
out of hand
mulish
irrepressible
pigheaded
bullheaded
rowdy
boisterous
rambunctious
stiff
self-willed
opinionated
disobedient
contrary
unpunished
hardheaded
indocile
insubordinate
misbehaving
stiff-necked

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

governable
controllable
tractable
manageable
docile
obedient
compliant
submissive
placable
pliable
yielding
receptive
responsive
willing
persuadable
reasonable
well-behaved
accepting
temperate
trainable

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of ungovernable are headstrong, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, unruly, and willful. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," 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

The words headstrong and ungovernable can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

The meanings of intractable and ungovernable largely overlap; however, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

The words recalcitrant and ungovernable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

In some situations, the words refractory and ungovernable are roughly equivalent. However, refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

Although the words unruly and ungovernable have much in common, unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

While in some cases nearly identical to ungovernable, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

单词	ungovernable
释义	ungovernable adjective un·gov·ern·able ˌən-ˈgə-vər-nə-bəl : not capable of being governed, guided, or restrained Synonyms balky contrary contumacious defiant disobedient froward incompliant insubordinate intractable obstreperous rebel rebellious recalcitrant recusant refractory restive unruly untoward wayward willful wilful See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The people there seemed almost ungovernable. a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else Recent Examples on the Web Extremist violence was already on the rise under President Roch Marc Kaboré, rendering much of the countryside ungovernable. Borso Tall, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Some of this is in consequence of Johnson’s own incurable temperament and ungovernable appetites. Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New Republic, 11 July 2022 Women will become ungovernable as these unjust laws begin to be the law of the land in states across the country. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2022 The old nostrum that France is ungovernable may be tested again. New York Times, 23 Apr. 2022 During his tenure, militants linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have upended life in the nation of 21 million, rendering much of the countryside ungovernable and driving at least 1.4 million people from their homes. Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2022 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pledging to make the chamber all but ungovernable if the rules change gambit succeeds. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 12 Jan. 2022 So listen: Right now your space, your beautiful space, your ungovernable American ether, is going bloody haywire. James Parker, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2021 At their most cynical, sanctions are a deliberate attempt to trigger an ungovernable humanitarian crisis, which will undermine Taliban authority. Ryan Cooper, The Week, 31 Aug. 2021 See More Word History First Known Use 1673, in the meaning defined above ungovernable adjective 1 as in rebellious given to resisting authority or another's control a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance rebellious rebel defiant unruly intractable obstreperous stubborn restive willful wayward contumacious recalcitrant uncontrollable disobedient contrary rigid mischievous insubordinate naughty balky refractory incompliant adamant wild insurgent wilful unmanageable dogged mutinous untoward froward dissident recusant uncooperative bad rude fractious implacable resistant disorderly peevish obstinate obdurate monkeying undisciplined negativistic inflexible uncompromising wrongheaded unrelenting mulish perverse noncooperative immovable pigheaded unyielding headstrong opinionated pertinacious unbending adamantine uncivil impudent misbehaving insolent hardheaded self-willed unmannerly uncouth disrespectful ungracious errant discourteous nonconformist impertinent ornery inconsiderate impolite ill-mannered ill-bred monkeyish ill-natured Antonyms & Near Antonyms docile tractable obedient amiable compliant amenable conformable cooperative submissive biddable agreeable acquiescent deferential obliging behaved yielding ruly disciplined governable respectful courteous polite subservient orderly servile slavish obsequious proper controllable decorous mannerly manageable well-bred trainable kowtowing See More 2 as in uncontrollable given to resisting control or discipline by others resigned to the fact that my cat is basically is an ungovernable beast with a will of his own Synonyms & Similar Words uncontrollable unmanageable unruly intractable stubborn incontrollable rebellious wayward recalcitrant difficult willful headstrong refractory wilful naughty undisciplined intransigent uncontrolled incorrigible froward wild obstinate untoward obdurate perverse out of hand mulish irrepressible pigheaded bullheaded rowdy boisterous rambunctious stiff self-willed opinionated disobedient contrary unpunished hardheaded indocile insubordinate misbehaving stiff-necked Antonyms & Near Antonyms governable controllable tractable manageable docile obedient compliant submissive placable pliable yielding receptive responsive willing persuadable reasonable well-behaved accepting temperate trainable See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of ungovernable are headstrong, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, unruly, and willful. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," 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 The words headstrong and ungovernable can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion. a headstrong young cavalry officer The meanings of intractable and ungovernable largely overlap; however, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control. intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump The words recalcitrant and ungovernable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority. acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace In some situations, the words refractory and ungovernable are roughly equivalent. However, refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold. special schools for refractory children Although the words unruly and ungovernable have much in common, unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior. unruly children While in some cases nearly identical to ungovernable, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way. a willful disregard for the rights of others
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ungovernable

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective

Synonym Chooser