# uncontrollable

/ˌənkənˈtɹoʊɫəbəɫ/ (US) · /ʌnkəntɹˈəʊləbəl/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/uncontrollable
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

impossible to manage or stop. You use this to describe feelings, people, or situations that you cannot keep under control.

For teachers: impossible to restrain, manage, or govern. Often describes physiological responses or intense emotional states that occur despite the subject's efforts to suppress them.

## Examples

- She burst into uncontrollable laughter during the meeting.
- The forest fire became uncontrollable due to the high winds and dry conditions in the valley.
- The witness was overcome by uncontrollable sobbing, forcing the judge to call a brief recess so the proceedings could continue in a more orderly fashion.

## Usage notes

- Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'seem', or attributively before nouns describing emotions or physical reactions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.