Definitions

unruly

[uhn-roo-lee] / ʌnˈru li /

ADJECTIVE

disobedient

Synonyms

STRONGEST

disorderly drunken fractious impulsive lawless ornery quarrelsome rebellious recalcitrant reckless restive riotous rowdy turbulent uncontrollable unmanageable violent wayward

WEAK

assertive bawdy forward headstrong heedless impervious impetuous imprudent incorrigible inexorable insubordinate intemperate intractable mean mutinous obstreperous opinionated out of control out of line perverse rash refractory ungovernable unyielding wild willful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

agreeable calm cautious controllable happy manageable mild moderate obedient passive patient

WEAK

compliant yielding

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration has strict rules and a “zero-tolerance” policy regarding unruly passengers.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The other stays raw — bright, fresh, slightly unruly.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Forrest’s fans were so unruly that they disrupted Macready’s performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

A supreme court ruling reportedly issued Tuesday afternoon appears to have blocked the post-mortems, but not before unruly protest scenes broke out on Tuesday in Jerusalem and other Israeli cities, according to police.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Finn had thick, unruly hair with odd cowlicks that sprang up no matter how much Mom smoothed them down.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Vocabulary lists containing unruly

List 6

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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act II

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Tears of a Tiger

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