What does untamable mean?
Untamable means unable to be tamed, subdued, or brought under control. The word can describe a literal animal, such as a wild horse, but figurative uses are especially common: an untamable spirit suggests independence and vitality, while untamable rage or violence implies something powerful that cannot easily be contained. It may also carry an admiring sense of rebelliousness or creative freedom, depending on context. Because untamable suggests a stronger resistance than simply difficult, it is often used for subjects associated with nature, power, instinct, or independence. The related noun untamable can refer to a person, creature, or thing regarded as impossible to control, though this use is much less common than the adjective. In standard modern English, untamable is used in both British and American speech and can stand before a noun or follow a linking verb.
Incapable of being tamed, subdued, or controlled; wild or resistant to control.
"The untamable wilderness beyond the mountains remained largely unexplored."
Used literally of animals and more commonly figuratively of anger, creativity, spirits, forces, and resistance to authority.
A person, animal, or thing that cannot be tamed or controlled.
"Even the most experienced handler knew that the untamable would never accept the saddle."
This noun use is relatively uncommon; the adjective is the word's principal form.
Untamable captures what happens when something too wild, fierce, or independent simply refuses to be controlled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does untamable come from?
Untamable was formed in Early Modern English by combining the negative prefix un- with tame and the adjective suffix -able. The root tame came through Old French from the Latin domare, meaning "to tame" or "subdue." The resulting adjective has long been used both literally of animals and figuratively of forces, passions, and people that resist control.
Related word forms
How untamable is actually used
The adjective is commonly used both literally and figuratively. Figurative uses often convey admiration as well as warning, especially when describing a spirit, imagination, or creative force. There is no major British–US difference.
Easily confused with untamable
Tameable means able to be tamed or controlled, whereas untamable means impossible or very difficult to tame or control.