haywire

[ hey-wahyuhr ]

noun

1. wire used to bind bales of hay.

adjective

, Informal.

1. in disorder:

   The town is haywire because of the bus strike.

2. out of control; disordered; crazy:

   The car went haywire. He's been haywire since he got the bad news.

haywire

/ ˈheɪˌwaɪə /

adjective

1. (of things) not functioning properly; disorganized (esp in the phrase go haywire )
2. (of people) erratic or crazy

Word History and Origins

Origin of haywire¹

First recorded in 1900–05; hay + wire

Word History and Origins

Origin of haywire¹

C20: alluding to the disorderly tangle of wire removed from bales of hay

Idioms and Phrases

see go haywire .

Example Sentences

Expected to be a steadying force, Garbers was one of the reasons things went haywire in the first half.

From Los Angeles Times

It makes it much easier for some immune cells to go haywire and drive excessive inflammation in the bowels.

From BBC

Because of the totally haywire way we tax people, which depends on heavy gas taxes, among other things.

From Seattle Times

If the markets went totally haywire, someone would catch on and shut the party down.

From Salon

Ocean temperatures that have gone “crazy haywire” hot, especially in the Atlantic, are close to making the current global coral bleaching event the worst in history.

From Seattle Times