In court shame is hard to control (6)

I believe the answer is:

uppity

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'hard to control' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'in court shame' is the wordplay.
'in court' becomes 'up' (up before a judge).
'shame' becomes 'pity' (synonyms).
'up'+'pity'='UPPITY'

'is' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for uppity that I've seen before include "Self-important, arrogant" , "Presumptuously arrogant" , "attitude" , "Needing to be slapped down?" , "Difficult to control" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.