vortex

American  

[vawr-teks] / ˈvɔr tɛks /

noun

vortices, plural vortexes plural

1. a whirling mass of water, especially one in which a force of suction operates, as a whirlpool.

2. a whirling mass of air, especially one in the form of a visible column or spiral, as a tornado.

3. a whirling mass of fire, flame, etc.

4. a state of affairs likened to a whirlpool for violent activity, irresistible force, etc.

5. something regarded as drawing into its powerful current everything that surrounds it.

   the vortex of war.

6. (in Cartesian philosophy) a rapid rotatory movement of cosmic matter about a center, regarded as accounting for the origin or phenomena of bodies or systems of bodies in space.

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vortex British  

/ ˈvɔːtɛks /

noun

1. a whirling mass or rotary motion in a liquid, gas, flame, etc, such as the spiralling movement of water around a whirlpool

2. any activity, situation, or way of life regarded as irresistibly engulfing

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vortex Scientific  

/ vôr′tĕks′ /

vortexes plural

1. A circular, spiral, or helical motion in a fluid (such as a gas) or the fluid in such a motion. A vortex often forms around areas of low pressure and attracts the fluid (and the objects moving within it) toward its center. Tornados are examples of vortexes; vortexes that form around flying objects are a source of turbulence and drag.

2. See also eddy

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Other Word Forms

• vortical
  adjective
• vortically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of vortex

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin, variant of vertex vertex

Explanation

Think vortex and picture a tornado or whirlpool — swirling around, causing destruction. If you picture a whirlpool spinning and draining like water out of a bathtub, you'll get a pretty good impression of what a vortex looks like. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz found out first-hand the meaning of vortex as she and her house whirled around in the funnel cloud of a tornado. In a figurative sense, vortex can be used to talk about something that seems like it is whirling out of control, all consuming, or chaotic. This may include exam week, your relationships, or your life in general.

Example Sentences

The duo rose to prominence together, even as the music sounded more and more like it was lost in a vortex.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

The Criterion Channel can be a vortex as inescapable as any Ferdinand Magellan encountered during his expedition that first circled the globe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

She just didn’t realize that she herself was going to get swept up into its vortex.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

This is just one of a host of ways environmental decisions are being sucked into the vortex that is Europe's energy debate.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

It’s hard to describe, but I imagine the way I am at this moment is a lot like getting sucked into a vortex.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

Related Words

• dust devil
• tornado
• tourbillion
• whirlwind