unmanageable

adjective

un·​man·​age·​able ˌən-ˈma-ni-jə-bəl 

: not manageable : difficult or impossible to control or manage

unmanageable hair

an almost unmanageable amount of data

The prisoner became unmanageable.

an unmanageable temper

an unmanageable number of students for one teacher

an unmanageable amount of debt

unmanageability

ˌən-ˌma-ni-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

unmanageably

ˌən-ˈma-ni-jə-blē 

adverb

an unmanageably large amount of data

Synonyms of unmanageable

• uncontrollable
• stubborn
• intractable
• unruly
• ungovernable
• difficult
• recalcitrant
• wayward
• willful
• out of hand
• rebellious
• refractory
• headstrong

Examples of unmanageable in a Sentence

an unmanageable dog who had to be returned to the pound

Recent Examples on the Web

The imperative now is to manage the unavoidable and avoid the unmanageable. —Anjali Chaudhry, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

If medical debt is becoming unmanageable, there may be debt relief strategies worth exploring before the situation escalates further. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 May 2026

Philadelphia missed good looks, looked heavy-legged and never found a response before the score had already gotten unmanageable. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 May 2026

Instead, government continues to grow at an alarming pace, into an unwieldy monster, impossibly big and unmanageable and expensive. —Kevin Fixler may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unmanageable

• manageable