haywire
Americannoun
adjective
-
in disorder.
The town is haywire because of the bus strike.
-
out of control; disordered; crazy.
The car went haywire. He's been haywire since he got the bad news.
adjective
-
(of things) not functioning properly; disorganized (esp in the phrase go haywire )
-
(of people) erratic or crazy
Etymology
Origin of haywire
Explanation
When something goes haywire, it's out of control or completely chaotic. You'll sense that things have gone haywire at a birthday party if suddenly the young guests are having a crazed water gun fight indoors. A riot is an extreme example of things going haywire, when people get angry enough about something that they ignore rules and laws, breaking windows and setting things on fire. A less serious case of things gone haywire could be a flock of chickens escaping an enclosure, running loose in your vegetable garden. The literal, and original, meaning of haywire is "wire used to bind hay." The wire's "springy unpredictability" led to today's common definition.
Vocabulary lists containing haywire
The Lost Hero
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This Week In Words: March 14–20, 2020
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Crossing the Wire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lacy laughs about it now, as a consequence of just how haywire that time was — for him, and everyone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
"We noticed our fan would go haywire at 5 Shaft. Some areas would show reduced or even reversed airflow during large rain events," Connot said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
"When regulatory measures are in place, things work out, and when there aren't, everything goes haywire," Cecile Duflot, Executive Director of Oxfam France, told a press conference.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Your mind plays all kinds of tricks on you when geopolitical events go haywire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
I try to follow his words, but my thoughts are going haywire.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
