adj
unruly
uhn-ROO-lee
adj
1
Difficult to control or discipline; disorderly or badly behaved.
"The teacher struggled to calm the unruly classroom."
"Airline staff removed the unruly passenger from the flight."
How to Use Unruly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHard to control, whether describing people, crowds, or even hair.
Common pairings
unruly mob
unruly hair
unruly behaviour
unruly passenger
Word Forms
unrulier comparative, unruliest superlative
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Etymology
From Middle English unruly, from un- plus rule plus -ly — literally "not following rule."