unruly

Definitions

un- (not) + rule + -y (adjective) = literally 'not able to be ruled.' The root hides inside the everyday word rule (itself from rēgula). An unruly crowd won't follow orders; unruly hair won't lie flat — both refuse to be kept in line, which is exactly what 'ruling' means.

Why It Means This

unruly looks like a native English word, and in a sense it is: it was built in English from the noun rule + -y, not borrowed whole from Latin. But rule itself goes back to rēgula, so unruly is a Latin root wearing an English coat — 'not rule-able.' That's why it has no related form like 'unregular'; English made it from the everyday word, not the learned one.

Common Collocations

• 1.unruly crowd闹事的人群
• 2.unruly behaviour不守规矩的行为
• 3.unruly hair蓬乱的头发
• 4.unruly child难管的孩子

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Teachers struggled to calm the unruly class.

• 2.

  Police were called to deal with an unruly crowd outside the stadium.

• 3.

  She tried to flatten her unruly curls before the interview.