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

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

The argument for expansion has been percolating from the four power conferences, which have expanded to unmanageable numbers and costly coast-to-coast footprints. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026

For borrowers facing serious financial strain, though, debt settlement can provide a structured path toward resolving what might otherwise feel like unmanageable debt. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unmanageable

• manageable