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Synonyms

uncontrollable

American  
[uhn-kuhn-troh-luh-buhl] / ˌʌn kənˈtroʊ lə bəl /

adjective

  1. incapable of being controlled or restrained.

    uncontrollable anger.

noun

  1. something, as an obligation, that cannot be controlled, reduced, or dispensed with.

    the uncontrollables in the new federal budget.
uncontrollable British  
/ ˌʌnkənˈtrəʊləbəl /

adjective

  1. incapable of being controlled or managed

"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

Other Word Forms

  • uncontrollability noun
  • uncontrollably adverb

Etymology

Origin of uncontrollable

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

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.

Stalin “possessed both an uncontrollable temper and extraordinary willpower. He was capable of bewildering recklessness and cold-blooded displays of control.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

"It's very disappointing to go out in this fashion but it's completely uncontrollable," said Ireland stand-in skipper Lorcan Tucker.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

The Gulf efforts aimed to "avoid an uncontrollable situation in the region", the Saudi official said.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

“Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…”

From Salon • Jan. 2, 2026

Gerald, whose grin was about to be erased by uncontrollable tears, looked at her, and knew she understood.

From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper

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.