havoc

American  

[hav-uhk] / ˈhæv ək /

noun

1. great destruction or devastation; ruinous damage.

   Synonyms:

   waste, ruin, desolation

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verb (used with object)

havocked, havocking

1. to work havoc upon; devastate.

verb (used without object)

havocked, havocking

1. to work havoc.

   The fire havocked throughout the house.

idioms

1. cry havoc, to warn of danger or disaster.

2. play havoc with,

   1. to create confusion or disorder in.

      The wind played havoc with the papers on the desk.

   2. to destroy; ruin.

      The bad weather played havoc with our vacation plans.

3. wreak havoc. wreak havoc.

havoc British  

/ ˈhævək /

noun

1. destruction; devastation; ruin

2. informal confusion; chaos

3. archaic to give the signal for pillage and destruction

4. (often foll by with) to cause a great deal of damage, distress, or confusion (to)

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verb

1. archaic (tr) to lay waste

havoc More Idioms  

1. see cry havoc; play havoc.

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Usage

What does havoc mean? Havoc means chaos, disorder, or confusion. It can also mean destruction, damage, or ruin. In many cases, it refers to a combination of these things.The phrase wreak havoc means to cause chaos or destruction or both. The phrases play havoc and raise havoc mean the same thing.Havoc is associated with seriously destructive and chaotic situations, such as natural disasters, as in The hurricane caused havoc throughout the region. But it can be used in a range of situations. An illness can wreakhavoc on your body. A virus can cause havoc in a computer network. The wind can wreak havoc on your hair. In most cases, havoc causes a situation that was (at least somewhat) orderly to become disorderly, especially when there is damage or destruction involved.The phrase cry havoc means to raise an alarm or give a warning.Havoc can be used as a verb meaning to cause havoc or destroy, but this is rare.Example: A major accident on the highway has wreaked havoc on the morning commute, causing traffic jams and delays for miles around.

Related Words

See ruin.

Other Word Forms

• havocker noun

Etymology

Origin of havoc

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English havok, from Anglo-French (in phrase crier havok “to cry havoc,” i.e., “utter the command havoc! ” as signal for pillaging), Middle French havot in same sense, from Germanic

Example Sentences

For Zhengyang Wang, who was part of a team of researchers who published a report on the ant trade in 2023 focusing on China, this is a worry and could "wreak havoc" with local ecosystems.

From BBC

Garin said earlier this week that the archipelago nation also planned to boost the output of its coal-fired power plants to keep electricity costs down as the war wreaks havoc with gas shipments.

From Barron's

Its capacity to wreak havoc in the U.S. economy then, is limited, he says.

From MarketWatch

The non-native predator was introduced to the island in the 1980s and has wreaked havoc on the internationally-significant breeding seabird colony.

From BBC

With winter in the northern hemisphere officially ending on Friday -- the first day of astronomical spring -- the soaring temperatures were wreaking havoc on wildlife in the West.

From Barron's

Related Words

• calamity
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• chaos
• confusion
• destruction
• devastation
• disruption
• mayhem