Havoc

Pronunciation: /ˈhævək/

Definitions of havoc

noun great confusion or disorder

Example Sentences

A1 The storm caused havoc in the small town.

A2 The children's party turned into havoc when the cake was dropped.

B1 The pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy.

B2 The protestors created havoc in the city streets.

C1 The hacker's attack caused havoc on the company's servers.

C2 The war brought havoc to the region, leaving devastation in its wake.

Examples of havoc in a Sentence

formal The hurricane wreaked havoc on the small coastal town, causing widespread destruction.

informal The kids running around the house are causing havoc with all their toys scattered everywhere.

slang The party last night was wild - everyone was wreaking havoc on the dance floor.

figurative Her reckless actions in the office have created havoc among her coworkers.

Grammatical Forms of havoc

• past tense: wreaked
• plural: havocs
• comparative: more havoc
• superlative: most havoc
• present tense: wreak
• future tense: will wreak
• perfect tense: have wreaked
• continuous tense: is wreaking
• singular: havoc
• positive degree: havoc
• infinitive: to wreak
• gerund: wreaking
• participle: wreaked

Origin and Evolution of havoc

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Anglo-French

Story behind the word: The word 'havoc' originated from the Anglo-French word 'havok' which was derived from the Old French word 'havot' meaning 'pillaging'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'havoc' evolved from specifically referring to pillaging to more broadly encompassing widespread destruction and chaos.