Meaning of havoc in English

havoc

noun [ U ]

/ˈhæv.ək/ us

/ˈhæv.ək/

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confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble:

wreak havoc The storm wreaked (= caused) havoc in the garden, uprooting trees and blowing a fence down.

play havoc with The delay played (= caused) havoc with their travel arrangements.

Synonyms

anarchy
ballyhoo old-fashioned slang
bedlam
chaos
commotion
confusion
disarray formal
disorder (CONFUSION)
disorganization
disturbance
hoo-ha informal
hoopla (EXCITEMENT) mainly US
hullabaloo old-fashioned
kerfuffle UK informal
madness (STUPID BEHAVIOUR)
mayhem
pandemonium
ruckus mainly US informal
rumpus informal
to-do informal
tumult formal
turmoil
uproar

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Social order & disorder

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Confusion, confusing and feeling confused

(Definition of havoc from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

havoc | American Dictionary

havoc

noun [ U ]

/ˈhæv·ək/

Add to word list Add to word list

confusion and lack of order that result in damage or trouble:

The storm created complete havoc in the park.

(Definition of havoc from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of havoc

havoc

Alarmists feared that the world's population explosion would wreak environmental and economic havoc.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

On the other hand, because the parliamentary majorities of the coalitions have not been large, small regional parties can wreak havoc.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In particular, it allowed its soldiers to wreak havoc on civilians during military operations.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Certainly it caused havoc in the minds of people who we know were never compelled to take it.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The working classes suffered the heaviest brunt of the economic havoc.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Aside from all the external concerns, the time factor was playing havoc with his normal working methodology.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Consequently, the political arena has been left dominated by a few who have wreaked total havoc on the country.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The advent of modern travel has wreaked further havoc on the appropriate preposition.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The mundane activity of their inhabitants, however, plays havoc with our established categories of thought.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Mining activities have wreaked havoc on the environment, especially in relation to the diminution and contagion of water and wood used for burning fires.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This can only wreak havoc on the ear and the mechanism of ear- finger interaction which a good player has spent decades developing.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In the 19th century, modernization from above created havoc in traditional society.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

For the private sector, we have bankruptcy regulations, which may be efficient for big firms, but create havoc everywhere else.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Ambushes often raised havoc with the theory of deployment found in the presumed order of battle.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Beyond family symptoms, personal symptoms of disorder, even at subsyndromal levels, are likely to wreak havoc.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of havoc?

Translations of havoc

in Chinese (Traditional)

破壞，毀壞, 混亂…

Meaning of havoc in English

havoc | American Dictionary

Examples of havoc

Translations of havoc

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