uncooperative
adjective
un·co·op·er·at·ive
ˌən-kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv 
-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-
: 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
Caitlin Flanagan
also
: providing difficulty
struggled with an uncooperative corkscrew
uncooperative weather
Examples of uncooperative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During their investigation to locate Gonzalez Benitez, Officer Natalie Garcia said detectives made numerous attempts to contact her mother and brother, who were uncooperative.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Levi was part of an emergency response team called to Nantwi’s housing unit to help National Guard members who sought backup after Nantwi was uncooperative during a prisoner headcount.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Her sister, Jasmine (Jasmine Ashanti), a wild card auntie, arrives with wine and a saucily uncooperative attitude.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
What began as a routine call quickly escalated when officers entered the home with a property manager and encountered an uncooperative individual inside who claimed to be armed and barricaded inside, according to the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
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Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Levi was part of an emergency response team called to Nantwi’s housing unit to help National Guard members who sought backup after Nantwi was uncooperative during a prisoner headcount.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Her sister, Jasmine (Jasmine Ashanti), a wild card auntie, arrives with wine and a saucily uncooperative attitude.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
What began as a routine call quickly escalated when officers entered the home with a property manager and encountered an uncooperative individual inside who claimed to be armed and barricaded inside, according to the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Cite this Entry
“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncooperative. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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