turmoil
n.a state of great confusion, excitement, or trouble. You use this when everything feels messy and out of control.
n.a state of extreme confusion, agitation, or disturbance. Often describes political, social, or emotional instability.
“The country was in political turmoil after the election.”
“The sudden departure of the CEO left the company's leadership in turmoil for several months.”
“Despite the internal turmoil caused by the scandal, the organization managed to maintain its public image through a series of carefully managed press releases.”
Commonly follows the preposition 'in' to describe a state of being.
“The World Athletics president was responding to a question while speaking to journalists about avoiding political turmoil at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”
“On the other hand, the prospect of a "super" El Niño predicted this autumn - a warming of the Pacific Ocean that occurs every few years - could lead to more turmoil.”
Unknown. First appears c. 1526. Perhaps from Old French tremouille (“the hopper of a mill”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.