maelstrom

[meyl-struhm]

noun

1. a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool.

2. a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs.

   the maelstrom of early morning traffic.

   Synonyms: bedlam, pandemonium, tumult

3. (initial capital letter),  a famous hazardous whirlpool off the NW coast of Norway.

maelstrom

¹

/ ˈmeɪlstrəʊm /

noun

1. a large powerful whirlpool

2. any turbulent confusion

Maelstrom

²

/ ˈmeɪlstrəʊm /

noun

1. a strong tidal current in a restricted channel in the Lofoten Islands off the NW coast of Norway

Word History and Origins

Origin of maelstrom¹

1550–60 maelstrom for def. 3; < early Dutch maelstroom, now spelling maalstroom, representing mal ( en ) to grind + stroom stream. See meal ², stream

Word History and Origins

Origin of maelstrom¹

C17: from obsolete Dutch maelstroom, from malen to grind, whirl round + stroom _stream

Example Sentences

Israel’s filing is the latest maneuver in a case that has thrust the court into a geopolitical maelstrom and the most serious crisis of the institution’s 23-year history.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Much of the time I was depressed just trying to keep from drowning in the maelstrom of events and emotions swirling around him.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While that may suggest there was a spike in reader interest amid the political maelstrom coming out of Washington in recent months, there are caveats.

Read more on MarketWatch

The authors trace the origin of HTS to the maelstrom of the early years of the Sunni insurgency in Syria.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some have expressed sympathy for team leadership for being thrust into a political maelstrom not of their making.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chaos 
• turbulence 
• turmoil