maelstrom
noun
a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool.
maelstrom
American
[meyl-struhm]
/ ˈmeɪl strəm /
noun
-
a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool.
-
a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs.
the maelstrom of early morning traffic.
- Synonyms:
- bedlam, pandemonium, tumult
-
(initial capital letter) a famous hazardous whirlpool off the NW coast of Norway.
maelstrom
1
British
/ ˈmeɪlstrəʊm /
noun
-
a large powerful whirlpool
-
any turbulent confusion
Maelstrom
2
British
/ ˈmeɪlstrəʊm /
noun
Etymology
Origin of maelstrom
1550–60 maelstrom for def. 3; < early Dutch maelstroom, now spelling maalstroom, representing mal ( en ) to grind + stroom stream. See meal 2, stream
Explanation
A maelstrom is a powerful whirlpool. A luckless ship might go down in one, and conflicting ocean currents might cause one. These days, you're more likely to hear maelstrom used metaphorically to describe disasters where many competing forces are at play. When an economy or a government fails, the situation is often described as a maelstrom. Following some precipitous event, all the forces at play — banks, governments, consumers — are trying as hard as they can to protect themselves. This creates a maelstrom — a perfect storm, so to speak — that drags any potential for rescue down with it. Maelstrom comes from an obsolete Dutch phrase meaning "whirling stream."
Vocabulary lists containing maelstrom
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"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
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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.
There have been moments of cinematic wizardry, including the extended, unbroken one-shots set in a culinary maelstrom; there have been entire episodes devoted to a single conversation in closeup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
Winfield and Buss weren’t the only names associated with the sports world to wade into the mayoral maelstrom.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Welcome to Wild Wednesday when a maelstrom of factors leaves the stock market needing some of its most trusted Big Tech names to lead it through the chaos.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
In Wales - a bigger test in a maelstrom and a test passed.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
A hovercar passed overhead, blowing a maelstrom of dust and loose wood chips into her eyes.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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.
