Unruly means difficult or impossible to control. An unruly crowd might push and shove despite security guards asking people to form orderly lines. Unruly hair sticks up in all directions no matter how much you brush it. An unruly class keeps talking and goofing around even after the teacher asks for quiet.

The word suggests active resistance to control rather than simple independence. A student reading quietly in the corner during recess is independent but not unruly. A student who keeps interrupting the lesson despite multiple warnings is being unruly. Unruly things or people don't just ignore rules: they actively work against efforts to manage or organize them.

You might hear about unruly passengers on airplanes who refuse to follow safety instructions, or unruly dogs that won't obey commands no matter how much training they receive. Even objects can be unruly: a garden hose that refuses to coil neatly, or vines that grow wild across a fence.

The word carries a sense of chaos and disorder. When something is unruly, attempts to bring order have failed or are failing. It's a useful word for describing situations where normal methods of control simply aren't working.