# unruly

/ənˈɹuɫi/ (US) · /ʌnɹˈuːli/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unruly
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

difficult to control or keep organized. You use this to describe people who do not follow rules or hair that will not stay neat.

For teachers: disorderly and disruptive; not amenable to discipline or control. Often used to describe crowds, children, or physical objects like hair that resist grooming.

## Examples

- The teacher struggled to manage the unruly class.
- After the game ended in a draw, an unruly crowd gathered outside the stadium to protest the referee's decision.
- The biographer describes the poet's unruly early years, characterized by a refusal to conform to social expectations and a series of public disagreements with his peers.

## Usage notes

- Typically used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after a linking verb like 'become' or 'grow'.

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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.