ungovernable

adjective

un·gov·ern·able ˌən-ˈgə-vər-nə-bəl

Synonyms of ungovernable next

: not capable of being governed, guided, or restrained

Choose the Right Synonym for ungovernable

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 ungovernable in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

But even Jewish-Jewish coalitions have proved ungovernable. —

Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024 The many examples of personal incompetence in rich industrial democracies generated the thesis that such countries had become ungovernable. —

Harold James, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021 Waymo’s lovable and ungovernable driverless taxis aren’t playing by the rules again in San Francisco. —

Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 30 Apr. 2024 Large areas of the north and east of Burkina Faso have become ungovernable since 2018. —

Nimi Princewill, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ungovernable