unruly
/ʌnˈruːli
/adjective (unrulier, unruliest)
Disorderly and disruptive and not amenable to discipline or control: a group of unruly children figurative Kate tried to control her unruly emotions...
- The incident happened two weeks ago when a female science teacher at the school called a colleague to help control a class of unruly pupils.
- He said that the Jakarta-based club had no problem with further disciplining its unruly players.
- The latest incident came on the day Ministers announced teachers would be given a legal right to discipline unruly pupils.
Synonyms
disorderly, rowdy, wild, unmanageable, uncontrollable, disobedient, disruptive, attention-seeking, undisciplined, troublemaking, rebellious, mutinous, anarchic, chaotic, lawless, insubordinate, defiant, wayward, wilful, headstrong, irrepressible, unrestrained, obstreperous, difficult, intractable, out of hand, refractory, recalcitrant;
boisterous, lively, loud, noisy, rollicking, romping, rumbustious, reckless, heedless
archaic contumacious
Derivatives
unruliness
/ noun ...- The Red sailors and the Red Cossacks had the most fighting spirit, but this was devalued by their volatility, disobedience, and general unruliness.
- A spokesman for City of York Council said: ‘We do not have a major problem with unruliness on buses in York, but we are not complacent and we are supporting this scheme to ensure good behaviour on buses is maintained.’
- Extra security staff and police have been placed on duty at Edgbaston to supervise cricket's fiercest rivalry, their minds concentrated by the scenes of Antipodean unruliness witnessed at The Oval on Thursday.
Origin
Late Middle English: from un-1 'not' + archaic ruly 'amenable to discipline or order' (from rule).
Rhymes
- hold one's horses
- hold one's nose
- hold one's own
- hold one's peace
- hold (one's) serve (or service)
- hold one's tongue
- hold one's whisht
- hold on to
- hold (or have) a wolf by the ears
- hold (or have) in derision
- hold (or keep) someone/thing at bay
- hold (or put) a gun to someone's head
- hold out
- holdout
- hold out for
- hold out on
- holdover
- hold someone down
- hold someone in contempt
- hold someone's hand
- hold someone/thing at bay
- hold someone/thing back
- hold someone/thing cheap
- hold someone/thing dear
- hold someone/thing harmless