ungovernable

American  

[uhn-guhv-er-nuh-buhl] / ʌnˈgʌv ər nə bəl /

adjective

1. impossible to govern, rule, or restrain; uncontrollable.

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ungovernable British  

/ ʌnˈɡʌvənəbəl /

adjective

1. not able to be disciplined, restrained, etc

   an ungovernable temper

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Other Word Forms

• ungovernability noun
• ungovernableness noun
• ungovernably adverb

Etymology

Origin of ungovernable

1665–75; un- ¹ + governable ( def. )

Example Sentences

Ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith talks about overseeing an ungovernable government.

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2026

The 34-year-old, with scant managerial experience, will have to manage a famously ungovernable city in all of its vast complexity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

So as I watched canary-yellow Canadian Super Scooper planes roar into Los Angeles to help douse the ungovernable firestorms threatening my home, my grieving Nova Scotian heart soared: reciprocity between old friends.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025

He was ungovernable and thrill-seeking, traits that, on the set, gave his performances authenticity but that also led him to squander opportunities.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2024

She watched him put on his socks, with a mixed expression of injury and the ungovernable interest of someone who has been examining laundered socks for holes for a great many years.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger