English Reference
Idiom idiom

Brownian motion


A state of chaos or disarray.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The office is in a state of Brownian motion today.

CONTEXTUAL

With the manager away and the project deadline approaching, the team fell into a state of Brownian motion.

COMPLEX

The sudden resignation of the entire board plunged the corporation into a state of Brownian motion, leaving investors uncertain about the company's future.


Named after Scottish botanist Robert Brown (1773–1858), who investigated the movement of pollen suspended in water.


Related idioms5entries
  1. 01

    go through the motions

    To do something in a mechanical, unreflective manner, especially as a matter of routine and without commitment or enthusiasm; to perform a task perfunctorily.

  2. 02

    motion of someone's ocean

    The way someone moves during sex.

  3. 03

    poetry in motion

    Fluid, graceful movement.

  4. 04

    set in motion

    To trigger movement or progress; to get going.

  5. 05

    set the wheels in motion

    to initiate a chain of events necessary to help one achieve a goal (more quickly)

Last updated August 10, 2026