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# unruly

adjective (unruly, unrulier, unruliest)

«unruly» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Unruly means behaving badly and hard to control. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#m1)
2. Unruly hair is untidy and hard to keep neat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories and school reports: «an unruly class», «an unruly crowd». In news, unruly behaviour on planes or at football matches. In everyday life: «unruly hair» that sticks up.

### Examples

- The unruly crowd pushed against the gates. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x1)
- The supply teacher found the class unruly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x2)
- My unruly hair never stays flat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x3)
- The unruly puppy chewed everything. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x4)
- An unruly passenger was taken off the plane. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x5)
- The garden became unruly while we were away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x6)
- They are an unruly set of reprobates, those sons of the dragon's teeth; and unless you treat them suitably, they will fall upon you sword in hand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/#x7)

### Note

Said «un-ROO-lee». Noun: unruliness. It comes from «rule», not from «ruly» as a separate word. Similar: wild, disobedient; opposite: well-behaved, orderly.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «unruly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unruly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«unruly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/unruly.html) on Mova free.