Synonyms for unruly
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Rambunctious
rambunctious informal US, insubordinate, disorderly, unmanageable, rowdy, restive, obstreperous, fractious, ungovernable, rebellious, boisterous, wayward, recalcitrant, mutinous, riotous, uncontrollable, stubborn, headstrong, turbulent, tumultuous, intractable, tough
Other
disobedient, loose-handed, licentious, rampageous, wanton dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Wild; uncontrolled.
The police gathered to contain the unruly mob.
Example sentences
- rowdy Tom always gets rowdy when he drinks tequila.
- disorderly I was suspended from school for disorderly conduct.
- unmanageable They were unmanageable pupils.
- insubordinate Why are you so insubordinate to your boss?
- disobedient Disobedient boys can not be happy in this world.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| unruly | rising | |
| rowdy | rising | |
| disorderly | falling | |
| unmanageable | steady | |
| insubordinate | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- tough1, rowdy2
- 6 letters
- wanton2
- 7 letters
- wayward2, riotous3, restive2
- 8 letters
- stubborn2, mutinous3
- 9 letters
- turbulent3, fractious2
- 10 letters
- rebellious3, disorderly4, tumultuous4, boisterous3, headstrong2, licentious3, rampageous
- 11 letters
- intractable4, disobedient5
- 12 letters
- unmanageable5, recalcitrant4, rambunctious3, ungovernable5, obstreperous4
- 13 letters
- insubordinate5
- 14 letters
- uncontrollable5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (rowdy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- turbulent
- Italiano
- turbolento
- Deutsch
- turbulent