Unruly Definition

ŭn-ro͝olē

unrulier, unruliest

adjective

unrulier, unruliest

Difficult or impossible to discipline, control, or rule.

The substitute teacher faced unruly students in the classroom.

American Heritage

Hard to control, restrain, or keep in order; disobedient, disorderly, etc.

Webster's New World

The police gathered to contain the unruly mob.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Unruly

Base Form:

unruly

Comparative:

unrulier

From Middle English unruly (“unquiet, restless"), interpreted as un- + rule + -ly (compare Middle English ruly, reuli (“subject to a religious rule, regular")), but also representing a modified continuation of earlier Middle English unrouly, unroly (“unquiet, restless"), equivalent to un- +"Ž roolie. The latter is perhaps from or influenced by an Old Norse word related to Danish urolig (“restless"), Swedish orolig (“restless"), Icelandic órólegur (“agitated"). Compare also Middle English unroo, unro (“unrest"). More at roo.

From Wiktionary
Middle English unreuli un- not un–¹ reuli easy to govern (from reule rule rule)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition