un|ru|ly

un|ru|ly «uhn ROO lee», adjective, -li|er, -li|est.

1. hard to rule or control, especially: a) not manageable; ungovernable; unmanageable: »

an unruly horse, a disobedient and unruly boy, an unruly lock of hair.

b) disorderly; lawless; turbulent: »

an unruly mob, an unruly section of a country.

2. stormy; tempestuous: »

an unruly sea.

Synonym Study 1 Unruly, ungovernable mean hard or impossible to control. Unruly means not inclined to obey or accept discipline and suggests getting out of hand and becoming disorderly, contrary, or obstinately willful: »

The angry mob became unruly.

Ungovernable means incapable of being controlled or restrained, either because of never having been subjected to rule or direction or because of escape from it: »

One of the circus lions had always been ungovernable.