uncooperative
adjective
un·co·op·er·at·ive
| \ ˌən-kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv
, -ˈä-pə-ˌrā-\
, -ˈä-pə-ˌrā-\
Definition of uncooperative
: 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
When police arrived, Corvello had locked himself in his home and was uncooperative. — Adrian Rodriguez, The Mercury News, "Marin man accused of threatening to burn neighbor’s home arrested after standoff," 24 Aug. 2019 Eric Young, president of the union that represents federal prison workers, disputed Barr’s claim that jail employees had been uncooperative. — Azi Paybarah, BostonGlobe.com, "Epstein suicide inquiry grows: Roughly 15 jail workers are subpoenaed," 22 Aug. 2019 The family was uncooperative when police arrived and they were escorted from the park, the Anaheim Police Department said after the July 5 melee. — Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, "3 family members in viral Disneyland brawl video face criminal charges," 23 July 2019 Each government accuses the other of having been uncooperative in reaching a diplomatic compromise. — Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times, "Japan uses trade restrictions as a weapon against South Korea," 21 July 2019 Daron Wyatt said officers responded and took a report, though the people involved were uncooperative. — Alma Fausto, The Denver Post, "Family brawl breaks out in Disneyland’s Toontown," 8 July 2019 The woman continued to be uncooperative during the booking process by refusing to answer questions. — cleveland.com, "Woman dismisses officer giving her speeding ticket: Cleveland Heights Police Blotter," 28 June 2019 McLemore's husband refused treatment and was uncooperative, according to police. — Jordan Culver, USA TODAY, "'Enraged' wife hits husband with laptop during argument over other women on plane in Miami," 9 May 2019 When contacted by deputies at the scene, Hudson was uncooperative and a deputy eventually used a stun gun on him, according to the affidavit. — Mitchell Byars, The Denver Post, "Longmont man accused of assaulting, running over woman near Gordon Gulch in Boulder County," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uncooperative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for uncooperative
uncooperative
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of uncooperative
: not willing to do what someone wants or asks for : not cooperative
See the full definition for uncooperative in the English Language Learners Dictionary
uncooperative
adjective
un·co·op·er·a·tive
| \ ˌən-kō-ˈä-pə-rə-tiv\
Kids Definition of uncooperative
: not showing a desire to act or work with others in a helpful way