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Unruly: meaning, definitions and examples

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unruly

 

[ ʌnˈruːli ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

behavior

Difficult to control or rule; disobedient or disruptive.

Synonyms

disobedient, disruptive, rebellious, wild

Examples of usage

  • He was suspended from school for his unruly behavior.
  • The unruly crowd refused to disperse.
  • The unruly children ran wild in the playground.
  • She struggled with her unruly emotions.
  • The unruly teenager constantly defied authority.
Context #2 | Adjective

hair

Messy or untamed in appearance.

Synonyms

disheveled, messy, untamed, wild

Examples of usage

  • Her unruly curls framed her face beautifully.
  • He tried to tame his unruly hair with gel.
  • The wind made her hair even more unruly.
  • The stylist managed to control her unruly hair.

Translations

Translations of the word "unruly" in other languages:

🇵🇹 indisciplinado

🇮🇳 अनियंत्रित

🇩🇪 ungezogen

🇮🇩 tidak tertib

🇺🇦 непокірний

🇵🇱 niezdyscyplinowany

🇯🇵 手に負えない

🇫🇷 indiscipliné

🇪🇸 indisciplinado

🇹🇷 asi

🇰🇷 제멋대로인

🇸🇦 جامح

🇨🇿 neukázněný

🇸🇰 neukázněný

🇨🇳 难以控制的

🇸🇮 neukročen

🇮🇸 óþekktur

🇰🇿 тәртіпсіз

🇬🇪 ურჩი

🇦🇿 intizamsız

🇲🇽 indisciplinado

Etymology

The word 'unruly' dates back to the late 16th century and is derived from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'ruly' which comes from the Old English 'rȳle' meaning 'rule'. The term originally referred to something that was not ruled or governed properly, and over time, it evolved to describe behavior or appearance that is difficult to control or manage.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #16,416, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.