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

• froward
• headstrong
• incontrollable
• intractable
• recalcitrant
• refractory
• uncontrollable
• ungovernable
• unruly
• untoward
• wayward
• willful
• wilful

Examples of unmanageable in a Sentence

an unmanageable dog who had to be returned to the pound

Recent Examples on the Web

The budget does, thankfully, enshrine the Department of Government Efficiency’s acknowledgment that federal sprawl has become unmanageable. —Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025

Each box weighed close to 30 pounds—cumbersome, though not unmanageable for a moderately-strong adult. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2025

Spots like Barcelona and Madrid don’t have to be totally unmanageable. —Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2025

According to Deloitte’s most recent annual Workplace Burnout Survey: 91% say having an unmanageable amount of stress or frustration negatively impacts the quality of their work. —Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unmanageable

• manageable