embroil
Americanverb (used with object)
-
embroils,
present (3rd person singular)
-
embroiled,
past participle, past
-
embroiling
present participle
-
to bring into discord or conflict; involve in contention or strife.
-
to throw into confusion; complicate.
verb
-
to involve (a person, oneself, etc) in trouble, conflict, or argument
-
to throw (affairs) into a state of confusion or disorder; complicate; entangle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
embroilsimple
-
embroilssimple
-
have embroiledperfect
-
has embroiledperfect
-
am embroilingprogressive
-
are embroilingprogressive
-
is embroilingprogressive
-
have been embroilingperfect progressive
-
has been embroilingperfect progressive
Past
-
embroiledsimple
-
had embroiledperfect
-
was embroilingprogressive
-
were embroilingprogressive
-
had been embroilingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embroil
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French embrouiller, equivalent to em- em- 1 + brouiller “to quarrel”; see broil 2
Explanation
To embroil is to drag someone into a mess. If you're embroiled, you're in deep. Being embroiled is far worse, far messier, and generally far more long-term, than simply being "involved" with something. Nothing good can come of being embroiled. Embroil can refer to any sort of situation — romantic entanglements, political events, scandals — but it's probably most commonly used in reference to lawsuits. The classic lawsuit that embroiled its participants was the fictional case of Jarndyce. v. Jarndyce, in Dickens's novel Bleak House — which went on for so many generations that all the characters' money was eaten up entirely by lawyers' fees. Let us repeat: nothing good comes of getting embroiled.
Vocabulary lists containing embroil
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 12, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Fast Food Nation
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The concerts at MetLife Stadium would later embroil Sheeran, his tour, Macklemore — and somehow pop star Pink — in controversy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Those investments, experts say, help prevent regional conflict and war that may embroil the U.S.
From Salon ● May 29, 2025
Desperate not to embroil a small, vulnerable immigrant community in an intense national controversy, they tried to avoid the issue.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2025
"We need to avoid a major conflict that will embroil the United States or indeed the countries in the region," presidential adviser Anwar Gargash told the US-based Arab Gulf States Institute last Thursday.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2021
Perhaps this was because the authorities in that country had no desire to embroil themselves with Spain, and kept a close watch on the movements of suspected Cuban partisans.
From The History of Cuba, vol. 3 by Willis Fletcher Johnson
Milking the quirks of small-town life and the strange workings of faith and superstition, “The Unknown Saint” embroils a cast of droll, deadpan characters in amusing high jinks.
From New York Times ● Jul. 30, 2021
"Because it embroils us in a legal discussion," Mueller said.
From Fox News ● Jul. 24, 2019
Her death remains a mystery that still embroils some of the most storied figures in this city’s imaginary golden age of intrigue and glamour.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2017
The case that has gotten the greatest attention embroils Benedict himself.
From Time ● Mar. 19, 2010
I believe it would rather be like the decision in that outer darkness of which Milton speaks where “‘chaos umpire sits, And by decision more embroils the fray.’”
From Historical Essays by James Ford Rhodes
The nascent Polish state found itself embroiled in localized wars with Germans, Lithuanians and Ukrainians alongside a grander struggle against the Soviets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The two Nations League fixtures, being played at neutral venues, have been embroiled in controversy since February when the two teams were drawn to play each other in Group B3.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The fixture has been embroiled in controversy since the two teams were drawn to play each other in Group B3.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Turns out Ed Sheeran, whose Loop tour became embroiled in controversy this month, won’t perform at billionaire Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium this weekend, either.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Everyone seems to know everyone else, embroiled in conversations that are impossible to join.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
The 1MDB scandal made headlines across the world when it came to light a decade ago, embroiling prominent figures from Malaysia to Goldman Sachs and Hollywood.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025
But her ability to manage her finances is not your responsibility, and we risk embroiling you further in her emotional blackmail and psychological pinball machine by discussing her money troubles.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2025
Jailhouse records soon proved Sanders right, embroiling the district attorney’s office and Sheriff’s Department in a national scandal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2022
But Johnson and Issa disagreed on the details of how to fix the problem, embroiling the subcommittee in the same debates that have stymied action on this matter for decades.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2021
Not one of its members, up to this period, had the smallest thought of embroiling their presidency in the disputes which were frequent amongst the native chieftains.
From Rulers of India: Lord Clive by George Bruce Malleson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
