embroil
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
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
King Charles is more famous than many heads of state, but he can also stay above the party politics that can embroil a president like Emmanuel Macron.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2023
Prosecutors say the bid-rigging scandal arrests have just begun and could embroil more companies.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2023
I beg your pardon also for saying or thinking that there was a design to sell me an office, or to embroil me.
From Life Without and Life Within or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and poems. by Fuller, Margaret
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.
