uncontrollable

[uhn-kuh n-troh-luh-buh l]

See more synonyms for uncontrollable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

incapable of being controlled or restrained: uncontrollable anger.

noun

something, as an obligation, that cannot be controlled, reduced, or dispensed with: the uncontrollables in the new federal budget.

Origin of uncontrollable

First recorded in 1570–80; un-¹ + control + -able

Related formsun·con·trol·la·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for uncontrollable

Contemporary Examples

Q: So there's no side effects like uncontrollable diarrhea or bleeding profusely through your eyes?
Why I Became an Ebola Vaccine Guinea Pig
Lizzie Crocker
September 18, 2014
It has no cure and as many as 90 per cent of its victims die, often from uncontrollable internal and external bleeding.
"Out of Control" Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Could Have 1,500 Victims Who Don't Know They're Carriers
The Telegraph
July 8, 2014
I spend waking hours in a fog of delirium, punctuated by uncontrollable giggle fits, heart palpitations, and mental anguish.
YouTube’s Sleep Whisperers Are A Sexy Way To Combat Insomnia
Lizzie Crocker
May 3, 2014
It starts with symptoms that look a lot like a common cold, which then turn into weeks of uncontrollable coughing.
Thanks to Anti-Vaxxers, Mumps Are Back. What’s Next?
Russell Saunders
March 20, 2014
First, at that height the airplane would be way beyond its operational ceiling and uncontrollable.
The Baseless Rush to Blame the Pilots of Flight 370
Clive Irving
March 16, 2014

Historical Examples

As if giving way to an uncontrollable impulse, he opened it a little.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
Tom, in uncontrollable temper, raised his hand and struck him.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
I was rather vexed at this uncontrollable outburst, and I continued my explanation.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Here, for the present, I stop in sheer and uncontrollable disgust.
Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863
Adam Gurowski
Then, as if obeying an uncontrollable impulse, she came toward him.
Fair Harbor
Joseph Crosby Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for uncontrollable

uncontrollable

adjective

incapable of being controlled or managed

Derived Formsuncontrollability or uncontrollableness, noununcontrollably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for uncontrollable

adj.

1570s, "irrefutable," from un- (1) "not" + controllable. From 1590s as "not subject to authority;" meaning "that cannot be restrained" is from 1640s. Related: Uncontrollably.

uncontrollable

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}uncontrollable

Related Words

Examples from the Web for uncontrollable

Contemporary Examples

Q: So there's no side effects like uncontrollable diarrhea or bleeding profusely through your eyes?

It has no cure and as many as 90 per cent of its victims die, often from uncontrollable internal and external bleeding.

I spend waking hours in a fog of delirium, punctuated by uncontrollable giggle fits, heart palpitations, and mental anguish.

It starts with symptoms that look a lot like a common cold, which then turn into weeks of uncontrollable coughing.

First, at that height the airplane would be way beyond its operational ceiling and uncontrollable.

Historical Examples

As if giving way to an uncontrollable impulse, he opened it a little.

Tom, in uncontrollable temper, raised his hand and struck him.

I was rather vexed at this uncontrollable outburst, and I continued my explanation.

Here, for the present, I stop in sheer and uncontrollable disgust.

Then, as if obeying an uncontrollable impulse, she came toward him.

uncontrollable

Word Origin and History for uncontrollable

adj.

Origin of uncontrollable