UNMANAGEABLE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does unmanageable mean? 

• UNMANAGEABLE (adjective)
  The adjective UNMANAGEABLE has 4 senses:

1. difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape

2. hard to control

3. difficult to solve or alleviate

4. incapable of being controlled or managed

  Familiarity information: UNMANAGEABLE used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNMANAGEABLE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape

Synonyms:

unmanageable; unwieldy

Context example:

almost dropped the unwieldy parcel

Similar:

awkward; bunglesome; clumsy; ungainly (difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape)

cumbersome; cumbrous (difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Hard to control

Synonyms:

difficult; unmanageable

Context example:

an unmanageable situation

Similar:

indocile; uncontrollable; ungovernable; unruly (incapable of being controlled)

incorrigible (difficult or impossible to manage or control)

uncheckable (incapable of being checked or restrained)

Also:

defiant; noncompliant (boldly resisting authority or an opposing force)

disobedient (not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority)

intractable (not tractable; difficult to manage or mold)

Antonym:

manageable (capable of being managed or controlled)

Derivation:

unmanageableness (the trait of being unmanageable)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Difficult to solve or alleviate

Synonyms:

uncontrollable; unmanageable

Context example:

uncontrollable pain

Similar:

intractable (not tractable; difficult to manage or mold)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Incapable of being controlled or managed

Synonyms:

uncontrollable; uncorrectable; unmanageable

Context example:

an uncorrectable habit

Similar:

incorrigible (impervious to correction by punishment)

Derivation:

unmanageableness (the trait of being unmanageable)

 Context examples 

Yes, as long as I could bear their noise; but they are so unmanageable that they do me more harm than good.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

However that might be, she was unmanageable.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Every feeling was offended; and the forbearance of her outward submission left a heavy arrear due of secret severity in her reflections on the unmanageable goodwill of Mr. Weston's temper.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The real circumstances of this pathetic piece of family history were, that the Musgroves had had the ill fortune of a very troublesome, hopeless son; and the good fortune to lose him before he reached his twentieth year; that he had been sent to sea because he was stupid and unmanageable on shore; that he had been very little cared for at any time by his family, though quite as much as he deserved; seldom heard of, and scarcely at all regretted, when the intelligence of his death abroad had worked its way to Uppercross, two years before.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

You are very fond of bending little minds; but where little minds belong to rich people in authority, I think they have a knack of swelling out, till they are quite as unmanageable as great ones.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Thursday, predestined to hope and enjoyment, came; and opened with more kindness to Fanny than such self-willed, unmanageable days often volunteer, for soon after breakfast a very friendly note was brought from Mr. Crawford to William, stating that as he found himself obliged to go to London on the morrow for a few days, he could not help trying to procure a companion; and therefore hoped that if William could make up his mind to leave Mansfield half a day earlier than had been proposed, he would accept a place in his carriage.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)