Standard Lemma guide

uncontrollable

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N K AH0 N T R OW1 L AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not able to be controlled, contained or governed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She got the uncontrollable urge for some chocolate.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

impossible to repress or control

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an irrepressible chatterbox
  • uncontrollable laughter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: irrepressible

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

incapable of being controlled or managed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • uncontrollable children
  • an uncorrectable habit

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: uncorrectable, unmanageable

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

of persons

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the little boy's parents think he is spirited, but his teacher finds him unruly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indocile, ungovernable, unruly

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

difficult to solve or alleviate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • uncontrollable pain

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unmanageable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English controllable English uncontrollable From un- + controllable.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: incontrolable — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Dutch: onbeheersbaar — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Finnish: hillitön — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Finnish: kontrolloimaton — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Finnish: pitelemätön — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Finnish: hallitsematon — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • French: incontrôlable — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Galician: incontrolable — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Galician: incontrolábel — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Georgian: არაკონტროლირებადი (araḳonṭrolirebadi) — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • German: unkontrollierbar — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Ancient Greek: ἄσχετος (áskhetos) — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκατάσχετος (akatáskhetos) — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Hungarian: irányíthatatlan — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Hungarian: befolyásolhatatlan — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Hungarian: csillapíthatatlan — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Hungarian: fékezhetetlen — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Hungarian: féktelen — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Italian: incontrollabile — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Manx: neusmaghtee — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Polish: niekontrolowany — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Portuguese: descontrolável — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Portuguese: incontrolável — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Romanian: incontrolabil — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Romanian: necontrolabil — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Russian: неуправля́емый (neupravljájemyj) — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Russian: неконтроли́руемый (nekontrolírujemyj) — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Spanish: incontrolable — not able to be controlled, contained or governed
  • Swedish: okontrollerbar — not able to be controlled, contained or governed