English vocabulary · B2
Havoc
/ˈhæv.ək/ · n.
It means a situation where everything is broken, damaged, or out of control.
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Example sentences
- The flood caused havoc across the whole town.
- One small error caused havoc in the entire system.
Word origin and roots
from Old French
- havot — plunder (from Old French)
Synonyms and nuances
- CHAOS (order breaks down completely)
- DESTRUCTION (things are physically destroyed)
- RUIN (something is damaged beyond recovery)
Lesson notes
Havoc. It means a situation where everything is broken, damaged, or out of control.
Similar words are chaos, destruction, and ruin. Use havoc when something causes a very large and sudden mess.
The flood caused havoc across the whole town. One small error caused havoc in the entire system.
From Old French. Havot means plunder. Soldiers who plunder a place leave everything broken and out of control. That is havoc.