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havoc

havoc

96 5.1
Great damage and confusion that makes things stop working
  • noun
  • /ˈhævək/
translation icon : estragos
  • Laren looked about the large room, at the havoc wrought in such a short time.
  • wreak havoc
  • play havoc with
  • create havoc

If you don't do that, you'll wreak havoc on the system.

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Examples

  • Still, family commitments and work obligations can play havoc with some of our best intentions.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Why did industrialization and modernization bring so much more havoc than in other economies?

    Academic text (1992)
  • I know I must have created complete havoc with your simple life since the moment I arrived.

  • And it was six minutes and 13 seconds of havoc.

  • It's like opening the gates of hell in terms of the havoc it will cause.

  • I certainly see the same sad havoc he speaks of in other hospitals.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • So just lots of havoc happening here at HQ.

  • The constant change of software versions is wreaking havoc with many large firm networks.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Poverty, alcoholism, conflicts over acculturation, and despair wreak havoc all too frequently in the Native American family.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Severe storms caused widespread havoc, uprooting trees and damaging homes.

Synonyms

mess
vshavoc
1.0

A situation in which things are untidy and confused

is stronger, implying large scale destruction and widespread disorder
hell
vshavoc
  • Informal
715 6.1

Loud, wild trouble that causes disorder

is less playful, stressing serious destruction and wider chaos
turmoil
vshavoc
138 4.8

A time of great confusion and disorder

is similar but often stresses violent or unnecessary causing forces
devastation
vshavoc
90 4.8

Great destruction that leaves places badly damaged, for example after a war or storm

adds chaotic confusion and disorder beyond physical damage
commotion
vshavoc
73 4.1

A noisy situation when people are excited or confused

tends to describe larger destructive or disorderly effects beyond noise
mayhem
vshavoc
68 7.3

Violent disorder and chaos that causes damage or a lot of trouble

is similar but adds wide confusion as well as violent disturbance
disturbance
vshavoc
45 3.7

A noisy event in a public place that bothers other people

is stronger, covering major destruction and broader chaotic consequences
pandemonium
vshavoc
22 8.0

A loud, wild situation of disorder and confusion

is broader, including violent destruction as well as loud chaos
turbulence
vshavoc
18 7.7

A time of strong political or social disorder

is similar but also implies widespread confusion and unnecessary damage
tumult
vshavoc
12 7.7

A noisy, confused situation with a crowd behaving badly

is wider, applying also to violent destruction and noncrowd chaos
one hell of a mess
vshavoc
  • NSFW
2 8.4

A very large, messy situation that is hard to fix

is similar but often more formal and includes violent disturbance

A sudden violent crowd event that causes confusion and danger

is broader, covering both violent damage and lasting disorder
pure carnage
vshavoc
  • NSFW
8.6

A situation with very strong violence causing much damage and many deaths

includes that destruction but also highlights widespread confusion and disorder
tumultuousness
vshavoc
9.0

A state of loud noise and confusion

adds the sense of large scale destruction or violent disruption

Antonyms

505 1.5

A state where people follow rules and behave calmly

52 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

How Destructive

annihilation
  • NSFW
47 8.1
devastation
90 4.8
havoc
96 5.1
chaos
438 3.1
disturbance
  • Specialized
80 4.1

Surface Forms

havoc singular
havocs plural

Etymology

The word havoc began as a medieval war cry that told soldiers to 'plunder' and 'destroy'. That's why today havoc means great destruction or confusion.