uncontrollable
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of uncontrollable
Explanation
Uncontrollable things can't be managed or influenced. An uncontrollable three-year-old can be a handful, while a politician with an uncontrollable desire for power can be dangerous. If you fly off the handle at the smallest irritation, snapping angrily at the people around you, you have an uncontrollable temper. And when you and your best friend burst into giggles in the middle of chemistry class, it's uncontrollable laughter that's going to get you in trouble. When something is controllable, it can be restricted or restrained. Add the "not" prefix un-, and you've got something uncontrollable.
Vocabulary lists containing uncontrollable
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Black's Dissenting Opinion
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"Fear" and "Violence Hits Home"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s something that’s completely uncontrollable and it’s really painful and it’s really scary and women need a lot of support.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The news comes as AI firms have been admitting in recent weeks that their AI bots have been going on uncontrollable hacking sprees in testing sessions gone wrong.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Fires are uncontrollable when they exceed the firefighters' ability to "put the wet stuff onto the red stuff fast enough to put them out", bushfire consultant Roger Fenwick told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
All financial bacchanals end when an event, often minor but only obvious in hindsight, sets off an uncontrollable chain reaction.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Sure, it’s a disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep,” said Sticky, then ducked his head shyly.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
