imbroglio

[ im-brohl-yoh ]

/ ɪmˈbroʊl yoʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR imbroglio ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural im·bro·glios.

a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.

an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation.

a confused heap.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

imbrangle, imbrex, imbricate, imbricately, imbrication, imbroglio, imbros, imbrown, imbrue, imbrute, imbue

Also embroglio.

Origin of imbroglio

1740–50; < Italian, derivative of imbrogliare to embroil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for imbroglio

Yet the current imbroglio in which Obama finds himself is self-inflicted.
Obama Needs a Friend in Congress—Like Bush Had|Lloyd Green|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
No wonder the summit was eclipsed by the B-movie imbroglio over Secret Service agents moonlighting as sex tourists.
Cartagena Summit’s Other Outrage: Obama’s Indifference to Latin Issues|Mac Margolis|April 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, on the other hand, found the Sestak imbroglio to be less, er, pungent.
May 30: 7 Best Moments From Sunday Talk|The Daily Beast Video|May 30, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The imbroglio of the Ladies of the Bedchamber had been settled in 1840.
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. I (of 4).--1841-1857|Charles L. Graves

The whole Toltec imbroglio is the result of a confusion between the histories of two peoples.
The American Egypt|Channing Arnold
It is your own course of action, remember, which has led to the present—the present—well, let us say imbroglio.
Erema|R. D. Blackmore
I am uneasy, fearing we may commit some spread-eagleism towards France during this present Mexican imbroglio.
Diary from March 4, 1861, to November 12, 1862|Adam Gurowski
How, then, the reader may ask, is an issue to be found out of the present imbroglio?
Russia|Donald Mackenzie Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for imbroglio

imbroglio

/ (ɪmˈbrəʊlɪˌəʊ) /

noun plural -glios

a confused or perplexing political or interpersonal situation

obsolete a confused heap; jumble

Word Origin for imbroglio

C18: from Italian, from imbrogliare to confuse, embroil

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for imbroglio

imbroglio

1750, from Italian imbroglio, from imbrogliare "confuse, tangle," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + brogliare "embroil," probably from Middle French brouiller "confuse" (see broil (2); also cf. embroil).