havoc
havoc Lexical Profile
havoc Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Widespread destruction, devastation, or ruin.
"The sudden flash flood wrought havoc across the coastal farming communities."
Great confusion, disorder, or chaos.
"Unexpected flight cancellations played havoc with our holiday travel plans."
• verb
To lay waste to or devastate (now rare or literary).
"Severe winter gales havocked the ancient woodland along the ridge."
Word Nuance & Usage
Most commonly encountered as a noun in the fixed collocations 'wreak havoc' or 'play havoc with'; avoid the common eggcorn 'wreck havoc', as 'wreak' (meaning to inflict or cause) is the standard verb in this idiom.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Late Middle English from Anglo-Norman 'havok', from Old French 'havot' (plunder or pillage), originally used in the military command 'cry havoc' to signal soldiers to seize spoil.