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An affable person is pleasant, friendly, and easy to talk to.
An altercation is a noisy disagreement or heated argument.
Bedlam is a situation with a great deal of noise and confusion.
If you are bellicose, you behave in an aggressive way and are likely to start an argument or fight.
A belligerent person or country is aggressive, very unfriendly, and likely to start a fight.
The adjective blithe indicates that someone does something casually or in a carefree fashion without much concern for the end result; as a result, they are happy and lighthearted.
Bonhomie is a friendly feeling among a group of people.
Someone in a buoyant mood is in good spirits.
If you describe a system or process as byzantine, it means that you are criticizing it because it is excessively complicated and difficult to understand.
A chivalrous man behaves in a polite, kind, generous, and honorable way, especially towards women.
Complacent persons are too confident and relaxed because they think that they can deal with a situation easily; however, in many circumstances, that is not the case.
If someone is complaisant, they are willing to please others and do what they want without complaining.
Two people concordant with each other are in agreement or harmony.
A congenial person, place, or environment is pleasant, friendly, and enjoyable.
When someone is contentious, they are argumentative and likely to provoke a fight.
A convivial atmosphere or occasion is friendly, pleasant, cheerful, and relaxed.
If someone will countenance something, they will approve, tolerate, or support it.
A situation or thing that is discordant does not fit in with other things; therefore, it is disagreeable, strange, or unpleasant.
When you disentangle a knot or a problem, you untie the knot or get yourself out of the problem.
Euphony is a pleasing sound in speech or music.
A fracas is a rough and noisy fight or loud argument that can involve multiple people.
An impasse is a difficult situation in which progress is not possible, usually because none of the people involved are willing to agree.
If you describe a situation or process as labyrinthine, you mean that it is very complicated, involved, and difficult to understand.
A melee is a noisy, confusing, hand-to-hand fight involving a group of people.
If you are oblivious to something that is happening, you do not notice it.
Pandemonium is a very noisy and uncontrolled situation, especially one that is caused by a lot of angry or excited people.
If you are in a plight, you are in trouble of some kind or in a state of unfortunate circumstances.
A polemic is a strong written or spoken statement that usually attacks or less often defends a particular idea, opinion, or belief.
If you are in a predicament, you are in a difficult situation or unpleasant mess that is hard to get out of.
A quagmire is a difficult and complicated situation that is not easy to avoid or get out of; this word can also refer to a swamp that is hard to travel through.
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.
A vendetta is a prolonged situation in which one person or group tries to harm another person or group—and vice versa.
Noun
imbroglio
im-BROHL-yoh
Context
What started as a celebration of my grandmother’s ninetieth birthday soon became a difficult imbroglio of complicated family tensions. My father could not decide who was in charge of the event, and when Uncle Roy called Dad a demanding jerk, the heated disagreement or imbroglio really got started. Luckily, I took my grandmother out to lunch while they were planning the party, so she didn’t have to hear the competitive imbroglio or complex struggle between her grown children.
Quiz:Try again!
What is an example of a well-known imbroglio in literature?
Newland Archer’s falling in love with his wife-to-be, May Welland, and hoping that their marriage doesn’t turn to dullness like his friend’s.
The complex plot of Romeo and Juliet in which a family feud prevents the two young lovers from being together.
The realization by Babbitt that he has never done one thing that he has wanted to during his entire life.
I'mBroiling, Yo! screamed the frog to the princess as the witch started to stir the frog soup--what an imbroglio for the frog!
Examples
The imbroglio illustrates the ethical dangers and pitfalls of doing science in the Internet age, where a little clicking can bring you a shocking amount of information about what your colleagues and rivals are up to.
—
The New York Times
The company formerly known has WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy Tuesday after filing for Chapter 11 protection 21 months ago. An $11 billion accounting scandal at the Ashburn-based telecommunications giant led to its official name change, effective Tuesday, in order to distance itself from the imbroglio.
—
The Washington Post
More than 20 of the companies entangled in the stock option imbroglio are in Silicon Valley, where the incentives first became a staple of compensation packages for rank-and-file employees as well as top executives.
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Wired
It could have been just another sleepy municipal spat over what should be built on a vacant parcel in a hot D.C. neighborhood. But the debate over the old Shaw Junior High site had something for everyone—and residents and politicians fiercely latched on. The months-long imbroglio ignited conversations about gentrification, the fate of neighborhood schools and whether the city was doing enough to ensure that students of color are experiencing the benefits of living in a booming city.
—
The Washington Post
From a root word meaning “to bewilder, tangle.” An imbroglio is therefore an “entanglement” that is often “bewildering” or “confusing” to put an end to.
Word Theater
Mind Your Language An imbroglio at headquarters over misunderstood names.
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!
