uncooperative

adjective

un·​co·​op·​er·​at·​ive ˌən-kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce uncooperative (audio)
-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-
Synonyms of uncooperativenext
: marked by an unwillingness or inability to work with others : not cooperative
The suspect was uncooperative with investigators.
an uncooperative witness
… he wonders whether it would be such a bad thing if their uncooperative nanny quit …—Caitlin Flanagan
also : providing difficulty
struggled with an uncooperative corkscrew
uncooperative weather

Examples of uncooperative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The suspect was uncooperative during the contact and physically resisted, briefly pulling the officer partially inside his vehicle, Lincoln police said in a social media post. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The Los Angeles Police Department released a video that shows officers at the Valley jail manhandle an uncooperative inmate who died after he was left handcuffed with a bag over his head while laying prone on the bunk in his cell. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 The location and time of the shooting were unknown as of Sunday, as the victim was uncooperative. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately for Kevin, Wile turns out to be an uncooperative client, even when Acme’s smarmy lawyer Buddy Crane (John Cena), with whom Kevin has history, offers an eye-popping $50,000. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for uncooperative

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uncooperative was in 1799

Rhymes for uncooperative

See All Rhymes for uncooperative

Browse Nearby Words

uncooled
uncooperative
uncoordinated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncooperative. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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