Meaning & use

maelstrom

noun·Advanced

Last updated

a powerful, violent whirlpool, or a situation of overwhelming turmoil and confusion.

See it in a sentence

The ship was pulled toward a maelstrom off the rocky coast.

The scandal plunged the company into a maelstrom of lawsuits and bad publicity.

A note on using this word

Often used figuratively today to describe chaotic situations rather than a literal whirlpool.

Words with a similar meaning

whirlpoolturmoil

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Words with an opposite meaning

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