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

Consider bankruptcy as a last resort For situations where debt has become genuinely unmanageable, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy are legal options worth understanding. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

Twin Rivers Unified School District teachers returned to their classrooms Monday, ending the union’s first-ever strike, a 12-day walkout motivated by what teachers described as untenable health care costs and unmanageable class sizes. —Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026

Citing unmanageable workloads and staffing shortages, Raju’s office started to refuse some cases in May. —David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026

Workers said that the pressure of daily visitor flows — particularly around the Mona Lisa — had become unmanageable and that promised reforms were arriving too slowly. —Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unmanageable

• manageable