unruly
un-ROO-lee
/ʌnˈruː.li/
Disobedient, disorderly, wild, and difficult to control or manage.
Describes people or crowds that resist authority and boundaries.
The story behind the word. Formed in Middle English around 1400 by adding the negative prefix un- to ruly ('governable' or 'orderly'). An unruly person literally resists being brought into line.
Word relationships
- boisterous: 'Boisterous' means noisy and energetic without necessarily being disobedient; 'unruly' specifically resists control.
- rebellious: 'Rebellious' implies opposition to political or systemic power; 'unruly' implies wild, disorderly behavior.
- orderly: 'Orderly' means well-behaved and neat.
- manageable: 'Manageable' means easy to control or guide.
Commonly confused with
- unruly: Compare with 'ruly' (an archaic word meaning obedient).
Word family
- unruliness (noun): The quality or state of being unruly.
Collocations
- unruly crowd
- unruly children
- unruly hair
- unruly behavior
Example sentences
- "The substitute teacher struggled to maintain control over the unruly classroom." Classroom Dynamics
- "Police officers were called to disperse an unruly crowd outside the stadium." Public Safety
Memory hook
Un-ruly = Unable to follow rules. Resisting rules and order.
When not to use
Do not use to describe simple, calm non-conformity.
Fun facts
- While 'unruly' remains extremely common today, its opposite 'ruly' died out of standard usage centuries ago.
Related words
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