Unruly means refusing to be controlled. An unruly crowd, unruly children, unruly hair.
It is used of crowds, classes and children, and lightly of hair that will not lie flat — which is much the commonest use in ordinary conversation. It implies energy rather than malice. In aviation, an unruly passenger is a defined category with legal consequences. Note that unruly is built from rule, so it means literally not subject to rule.
1adjectiveunrulyRefusing to be controlled.
“The young teacher struggled to control the unruly class after lunch.”
synonyms: disorderly, wayward
unruly is a quality of disobedience.
Also accepted in games: wild
Middle English unruly is un- plus rule plus -ly. Middle English had ruly, meaning obedient to a rule, and only the negative survived.
Middle English
unruly — unquiet, restless
English, today
unruly
Built from
From Middle English unruly (“unquiet, restless”), equivalent to 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- + roolie. The latter is perhaps from or influenced by Old Norse úróligr, related to Danish urolig (“restless”), Swedish orolig (“restless”), Icelandic órólegur (“agitated”). Compare also Middle English unroo, unro (“unrest”). More at roo.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA