uncooperative

adjective

un·​co·​op·​er·​at·​ive ˌən-kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv 

-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-

: marked by an unwillingness or inability to work with others : not cooperative

The suspect was uncooperative with investigators.

an uncooperative witness

… he wonders whether it would be such a bad thing if their uncooperative nanny quit …

—Caitlin Flanagan

also : providing difficulty

struggled with an uncooperative corkscrew

uncooperative weather

Examples of uncooperative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With the driver still uncooperative, deputies deployed Solano County Sheriff's K-9 Ty to help with the arrest. —Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

Shane and the other three officers, in their reports, described Curry as being uncooperative and declining to submit to a standard field sobriety test, but instead telling them to put him in handcuffs. —Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026

Resolving neighborhood disputes can take time, especially if the other party is uncooperative. —Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026

Levi was part of an emergency response team called to Nantwi’s housing unit to help National Guard members who sought backup after Nantwi was uncooperative during a prisoner headcount. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for uncooperative

• inoperative
• operative