ungovernable

adjective

ˌən-ˈgə-vər-nə-bəl How to pronounce ungovernable (audio)
Definition of ungovernablenext
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ungovernable differ from other similar words?

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

When could headstrong be used to replace ungovernable?

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

When can intractable be used instead of ungovernable?

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

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

In what contexts can recalcitrant take the place of ungovernable?

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

When is refractory a more appropriate choice than ungovernable?

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

When is it sensible to use unruly instead of ungovernable?

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

When would willful be a good substitute for ungovernable?

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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ungovernable In its editorial, Automotive News said Stellantis might be ungovernable but was certainly in need of a major overhaul. — Neil Winton, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungovernable
  1. rebellious
  2. uncontrollable
  3. rebel
  4. unmanageable
  5. defiant
  6. stubborn
  7. intractable
  8. unruly
Adjective
  • On Wednesday, March 12, The Kardashians star was joined by her mother Kris Jenner for the latest episode of her Khloé in Wonderland podcast, where the two looked back at some of Khloé's rebellious childhood moments.
    — Esther Kang, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • But in 1862, Congress declared that any slave with a rebellious master who reached federal lines would be free.
    — Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • Joking was her version of uncontrollable tears, but Dr. Fenton neither laughed nor pressed to see what was behind Lilian’s inane laughter.
    — Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Separating benefits from employee health also allows businesses to escape uncontrollable, often double-digit, group plan renewals.
    — Jack Hooper, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of uncontrollable
Adjective
  • The attacks started this week after reports emerged that Assad loyalists had ambushed and killed members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the rebel group that spearheaded the rebellion that ousted the former Syrian leader.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
  • The singer and the songwriter traversed the frontlines of the urban guerrilla war that had consumed the city of Homs by that point, with one half of the city overtaken by regime soldiers and the other half controlled by rebel groups.
    — Jawad Rizkallah, NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • National parks and forests lost essential personnel with many crews cut down to half, leaving critical tasks unmanageable.
    — Dua Anjum, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon has rejected that idea as unmanageable.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of unmanageable
Adjective
  • Their bleeding champion — at the time a former and future president — raises a defiant fist.
    — John Scott Lewinski, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
  • After being yelled at, children often feel defiant, defensive, and disconnected from their parent.
    — Daryl Austin, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • One daughter, loving but stubborn, leaves for Vilna to study nursing.
    — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The true top is still stubborn, though: In 2023 women made up just over 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 9% of the FTSE CEOs, and 5.4% of CEOs of the S&P Global Broad Market Index.
    — Kweilin Ellingrud, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • What’s more, Asian elephants are highly social, highly intelligent, and endangered, raising intractable ethical obstacles to experimenting on them.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Climate change will create intractable problems for some countries and open new opportunities for others, encouraging a race for territory.
    — Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of intractable
Adjective
  • But Mayhem is about using music as archeology to excavate unruly parts of one’s own identity.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The eight-episode Season 1 of The Franchise followed the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of unruly

Browse Nearby Words

ungovernable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ungovernable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungovernable. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All