ungoverned
/ʌn'gʌvənd/
Học thuậtThân thiện
The ungoverned garden is overgrown with tall weeds and tangled vines that spill over the stone walls.
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking discipline, control, or restraint: Describes a person, behavior, or emotion that is not controlled, regulated, or kept in check.
- Not ruled or governed: Describes a state, place, or group not subject to formal authority or administration.
Usage and Examples
Describing lack of personal control:
- The ungoverned child ran wildly through the store. (The child, lacking discipline, ran without restraint.)
- His ungoverned temper often got him into trouble. (His unrestrained anger frequently caused problems.)
Describing a lack of formal rule:
- The remote territory remained largely ungoverned for decades. (The area was not under the control of any formal government.)
- In the absence of leadership, the meeting descended into ungoverned chaos. (Without control, the meeting became chaotic.)
Advanced Usage
- "Ungoverned by": Not controlled or influenced by a specific principle or force.
- Her actions were ungoverned by fear. (Her actions were not controlled or limited by fear.)
- "Ungoverned spaces": A geopolitical term for regions where state authority is weak or absent.
- The military was concerned about terrorist camps in ungoverned spaces. (Camps were located in areas lacking government control.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ungovernable (adj): Impossible to control or govern.
- The situation had become ungovernable. (The situation could no longer be controlled.)
- Disorderly (adj): Lacking organization or neatness; unruly.
- Anarchic (adj): Characterized by a state of disorder due to absence of governing authority.
Synonyms
- Unrestrained: Not held back or limited.
- Unchecked: Not stopped, supervised, or limited.
- Unbridled: Uncontrolled; unconstrained.
- Unruly: Disorderly and disruptive, not submitting to discipline.
Antonyms
- Governed: Ruled or controlled.
- Restrained: Kept under control.
- Disciplined: Showing a controlled form of behavior.
- Orderly: Neatly arranged; well-behaved.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- To run amok/unchecked: To behave in a wild, uncontrolled way. (This phrase conveys a similar sense of being .)
- Without regulations, speculation in the market ran amok. (Speculation was uncontrolled.)
The ungoverned garden is overgrown with tall weeds and tangled vines that spill over the stone walls.
Adjective
- lacking in discipline or control
- undisciplined behavior
- ungoverned youth
- not restrained or controlled
- unbridled rage
- an unchecked temper
- ungoverned rage