Word
shambles
Phoneticssham·bles, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈʃæmbəɫz/
UK/ʃˈæmbəlz/
Definitions
01a mess or disaster
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a situation or place that is very untidy, disorganized, or badly managed.
n. a state of total disorder, confusion, or mismanagement. Often used with the definite article 'a' to describe a failed project or a messy room.
“The party was a complete shambles because nobody remembered to bring the food.”
“The government's new housing policy is in a total shambles, with three different departments issuing conflicting guidelines to the public.”
Usage
Usually appears in the singular form 'a shambles' or 'in a shambles'.
Pitfall
The room was very shambles.
The room was a shambles.
Shambles is a noun, not an adjective. You must use it with 'a' or 'in a'.
02a slaughterhouse
C2 · Proficiency Plural noun Archaic
n. a place where animals are killed for meat.
n. a slaughterhouse or a place of great bloodshed. This sense is largely historical but explains the modern 'messy' meaning.
Español:matadero
“The old city map showed where the meat market and the shambles used to be.”
“The battlefield was a bloody shambles, a grim testament to the ferocity of the previous night's engagement.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rare in modern conversation; students will mostly encounter it in historical literature or when visiting old street names like 'The Shambles' in York.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian It is possible to explain away the shambles against Brentford, who were not only much more joined-up but appeared to want it more in the duels.” “After the shambles of last summer and the start of the campaign, maybe Sheffield United have learned from their mistakes.” Etymology
From Middle English schamels, plural of schamel, from Old English sċeamol, sċamul (“bench, stool”), from Proto-West Germanic skamul, skamil (“stool, bench”), from Vulgar Latin scamellum, from Latin scamillum (“little bench, ridge”), from Latin scamnum (“bench, ridge, breadth of a field”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/shambles
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0