vortex

American  

[vawr-teks] / ˈvɔr tɛks /

noun

plural

vortices, vortexes

1. a whirling mass of water, especially one in which a force of suction operates, as a whirlpool.

2. a whirling mass of air, especially one in the form of a visible column or spiral, as a tornado.

3. a whirling mass of fire, flame, etc.

4. a state of affairs likened to a whirlpool for violent activity, irresistible force, etc.

5. something regarded as drawing into its powerful current everything that surrounds it.

   the vortex of war.

6. (in Cartesian philosophy) a rapid rotatory movement of cosmic matter about a center, regarded as accounting for the origin or phenomena of bodies or systems of bodies in space.

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vortex British  

/ ˈvɔːtɛks /

noun

1. a whirling mass or rotary motion in a liquid, gas, flame, etc, such as the spiralling movement of water around a whirlpool

2. any activity, situation, or way of life regarded as irresistibly engulfing

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vortex Scientific  

/ vôr′tĕks′ /

plural

vortexes

1. A circular, spiral, or helical motion in a fluid (such as a gas) or the fluid in such a motion. A vortex often forms around areas of low pressure and attracts the fluid (and the objects moving within it) toward its center. Tornados are examples of vortexes; vortexes that form around flying objects are a source of turbulence and drag.

2. See also eddy

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Other Word Forms

• vortical
  adjective
• vortically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of vortex

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin, variant of vertex vertex

Explanation

Think vortex and picture a tornado or whirlpool — swirling around, causing destruction. If you picture a whirlpool spinning and draining like water out of a bathtub, you'll get a pretty good impression of what a vortex looks like. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz found out first-hand the meaning of vortex as she and her house whirled around in the funnel cloud of a tornado. In a figurative sense, vortex can be used to talk about something that seems like it is whirling out of control, all consuming, or chaotic. This may include exam week, your relationships, or your life in general.

Example Sentences

Meteorologists say temperatures could plunge well below freezing in some areas as the frigid northern air, known as the Polar Vortex, settles over the country.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Appeared in the January 10, 2026, print edition as 'A Vortex of Spirituality'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

But I initially missed her 2020 book, “In the Vortex of Violence: Lynching, Extralegal Justice, and the State in Post-Revolutionary Mexico” — an oversight I have happily been remedying this week.

From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2023

Take Exit 738 into downtown Mount Shasta to enjoy its hippie vibe and businesses with names like Gaia Hair Design and Shasta Vortex Adventures.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 16, 2022

Local Teen Trapped in Parental Vortex of Expectation and Disappointment, Doesn’t Expect to Be Rescued The nice thing about having an overachieving asshole for an older brother is that it takes the pressure off.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• dust devil
• tornado
• tourbillion
• whirlwind