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When you act with abandon, you give in to the impulse of the moment and behave in a wild, uncontrolled way.
When something is aberrant, it is unusual, not socially acceptable, or a departure from the norm.
Something that is amorphous has no clear shape, boundaries, or structure.
A state of anarchy occurs when there is no organization or order in a nation or country, especially when no effective government exists.
If you describe a decision, rule, or plan as arbitrary, you think that it was decided without any thought, standard, or system to guide it; therefore, it can seem unfair.
Bedlam is a situation with a great deal of noise and confusion.
Someone who is boisterous is noisy, excitable, and full of boundless energy; therefore, they show a lack of disciplined restraint at times.
A cacophony is a loud and unpleasant mixture of sounds.
A cataclysm is a violent, sudden event that causes great change and/or harm.
A cohesive argument sticks together, working as a consistent, unified whole.
When you coordinate a large event, you organize or bring all the many parts of it together so that the event can occur.
Something, such as a building, is derelict if it is empty, not used, and in bad condition or disrepair.
A dilapidated building, vehicle, etc. is old, broken-down, and in very bad condition.
When you are in a state of disarray, you are disorganized, disordered, and in a state of confusion.
A situation or thing that is discordant does not fit in with other things; therefore, it is disagreeable, strange, or unpleasant.
Dissolution is the breaking up or official end of a group, such as a couple or institution; it can also be the act of separating something into smaller components.
Entropy is the lack of organization or measure of disorder currently in a system.
If you exhibit equanimity, you demonstrate a calm mental state—without showing upset or annoyance—when you deal with a difficult situation.
Euphony is a pleasing sound in speech or music.
To foment is to encourage people to protest, fight, or cause trouble and violent opposition to something that is viewed by some as undesirable.
A fracas is a rough and noisy fight or loud argument that can involve multiple people.
A halcyon time is calm, peaceful, and undisturbed.
When two people are in a harmonious state, they are in agreement with each other; when a sound is harmonious, it is pleasant or agreeable to the ear.
When there is havoc, there is great disorder, widespread destruction, and much confusion.
If someone is imperturbable, they are always calm and not easily upset or disturbed by any situation, even dangerous ones.
If an idea, plan, or attitude is inchoate, it is vague and imperfectly formed because it is just starting to develop.
An insurrection is a rebellion or open uprising against an established form of government.
If someone is lucid, they are able to understand things and think clearly; this adjective also describes writing or speech that is crystal clear and easy to understand.
A maelstrom is either a large whirlpool in the sea or a violent or agitated state of affairs.
A melee is a noisy, confusing, hand-to-hand fight involving a group of people.
An organization or system that is a monolith is extremely large; additionally, it is unwilling or very slow to change or adopt something new.
Nihilism is the belief that nothing in life has any importance or value, including all social institutions, and that existence is senseless or useless.
When you orient yourself to your surroundings, you make yourself more familiar with them or adjust to them.
Pandemonium is a very noisy and uncontrolled situation, especially one that is caused by a lot of angry or excited people.
Something that is pellucid is either extremely clear because it is transparent to the eye or it is very easy for the mind to understand.
A placid scene or person is calm, quiet, and undisturbed.
Someone who is profligate is lacking in restraint, which can manifest in carelessly and wastefully using resources, such as energy or money; this kind of person can also act in an immoral way.
Propriety is behaving in a socially acceptable and appropriate way.
A state of quiescence is one of quiet and restful inaction.
To ramble is to wander about leisurely, with no specific destination in mind; to ramble while speaking is to talk with no particular aim or point intended.
Rambunctious conduct is wild, unruly, very active, and sometimes hard to control.
If something bad, such as crime or disease, is rampant, there is a lot of it—and it is increasing in a way that is difficult to control.
A raucous sound is unpleasantly loud, harsh, and noisy.
You show rectitude if you behave or conduct yourself in an honest and morally correct manner.
A rubric is a set of instructions at the beginning of a document, such as an examination or term paper, that is usually printed in a different style so as to highlight its importance.
Sedition is the act of encouraging people to disobey and oppose the government currently in power.
A serene place or situation is peaceful and calm.
Stasis is a state of little change over a long period of time or a condition of inactivity caused by an equal balance of opposing forces.
Something statutory, such as the power given to a governor or president, is created, established, and controlled by rules and laws; hence, it has the full force of the law behind it and must be followed.
If you are steadfast, you have a firm belief in your actions or opinions and refuse to give up or change them because you are certain that you are doing the right thing.
A stoic person does not show their emotions and does not complain when bad things happen to them.
A tempestuous storm, temper, or crowd is violent, wild, and in an uproar.
A tenet is a belief held by a group, organization, or person.
A touchstone is the standard or best example by which the value or quality of something else is judged.
If something is tranquil, it is peaceful, calm, and quiet.
A tumultuous event or period of time is filled with great excitement, confusion, or violence; a tumultuous reaction to something is likewise very loud and noisy because people are happy and excited.
Something that is turbid, such as water, is muddy or cloudy because it has lots of small pieces of matter or dirt in it.
Turbulence describes a state of extreme disorder or confusion; it can also refer to unpredictable and wild wind currents.
When you experience turmoil, there is great confusion, disturbance, instability, and disorder in your life.
To be unfazed is to not be affected by something that happens to you, even if it is quite embarrassing or bothersome.
A welter of something is a large, overwhelming, and confusing amount of it; this word can also refer to a state of confusion, disorder, or turmoil.
Adj.
chaotic
kay-OT-ik
Context
The rock concert, instead of running smoothly, was chaotic and disorderly from the beginning. The chaotic or messed-up state began when the opening act canceled at the last minute, and the main band refused to play early. Next lightning crashed and the lights went out, causing a chaotic, uncontrolled response—everyone was scrambling for the exits. When the police arrived to try to reinstate some order, a rumor spread that there had been a bomb threat, which made things even more chaotic, crazy, and rowdy.
Chap Neurotic That chap is so neurotic because he lives a chaotic, messed-up life.
Examples
The Earth’s climate, one scientist argued, is a chaotic system—shooting particles into the stratosphere could have unforeseen consequences, such as enlarging the ozone hole, that we might only discover after the damage was done.
—
Rolling Stone
Ethiopia is emerging as the key strategic ally in this effort, and the chaotic zone around Mogadishu, not really controlled by any government, is a focal area of concern.
—
Harper's Magazine
Chaos, in the mathematical sense, is not unpredictability: chaotic systems can behave in a predictable and reproducible way. The catch is that the evolution of a chaotic system depends very sensitively on its starting conditions, which leads in the long term to behavior that is ultimately unpredictable.
—
The Economist
Somalia has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has effectively splintered into three separate states: Somaliland in the north, Puntland in the center and chaotic southern Somalia.
—
Newsweek
Something chaotic hearkens to the extreme disorder found in “infinite space.” According to some systems of thought, from this “darkness,” viewed as disorderly or “chaotic” because there is nothing of recognizable form, came all things that do have form, hence some order to them.
Word Theater
Roger Rabbit Roger Rabbit's babysitting experience is chaotic!
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!
Word Constellation
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Related Words
abandon ·
aberrant ·
amorphous ·
anarchy+ ·
arbitrary ·
bedlam ·
boisterous ·
cacophony ·
cataclysm ·
derelict ·
dilapidated ·
disarray+ ·
discordant ·
dissolution ·
entropy ·
foment ·
fracas ·
havoc+ ·
inchoate ·
insurrection ·
maelstrom+ ·
melee ·
nihilism ·
pandemonium+ ·
profligate ·
ramble ·
rambunctious ·
rampant ·
raucous ·
sedition ·
tempestuous ·
tumultuous+ ·
turbid ·
turbulence+ ·
turmoil+ ·
welter ·
cohesive+ ·
coordinate+ ·
equanimity ·
euphony ·
halcyon+ ·
harmonious+ ·
imperturbable* ·
lucid ·
monolith ·
orient+ ·
pellucid ·
placid+ ·
propriety ·
quiescence ·
rectitude ·
rubric ·
serene+ ·
stasis ·
statutory ·
steadfast ·
stoic ·
tenet ·
touchstone ·
tranquil+ ·
unfazed* ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
chaos
n
→
great disorder or confusion
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
