haywire
haywire Lexical Profile
haywire Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Erratic, disorganized, or out of control; functioning improperly or unpredictably.
"The navigation system went completely haywire during the solar storm, forcing the crew to rely on manual instruments."
• adverb
Into a state of disorder, malfunction, or erratic behavior.
"Once the main server crashed, the entire scheduling network began acting haywire."
• noun
Soft, pliable metal wire used for binding bales of hay or straw.
"The rancher used a length of old haywire to temporarily fasten the broken gate latch."
Word Nuance & Usage
Most commonly used as a predicate adjective or adverb in the idiomatic phrase 'go haywire', indicating a sudden loss of control or mechanical malfunction.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in late 19th-century American English from 'hay' and 'wire', referring to the soft, easily tangled wire used to bind bales of hay; because loggers and farmers frequently reused it for makeshift repairs, it came to symbolize anything poorly maintained, chaotic, or out of control.