maelstrom
Americannoun
-
a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool.
-
a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs.
the maelstrom of early morning traffic.
- Synonyms:
- bedlam, pandemonium, tumult
-
(initial capital letter) a famous hazardous whirlpool off the NW coast of Norway.
noun
-
a large powerful whirlpool
-
any turbulent confusion
noun
Etymology
Origin of maelstrom
1550–60 maelstrom for def. 3; < early Dutch maelstroom, now spelling maalstroom, representing mal ( en ) to grind + stroom stream. See meal 2, stream
Explanation
A maelstrom is a powerful whirlpool. A luckless ship might go down in one, and conflicting ocean currents might cause one. These days, you're more likely to hear maelstrom used metaphorically to describe disasters where many competing forces are at play. When an economy or a government fails, the situation is often described as a maelstrom. Following some precipitous event, all the forces at play — banks, governments, consumers — are trying as hard as they can to protect themselves. This creates a maelstrom — a perfect storm, so to speak — that drags any potential for rescue down with it. Maelstrom comes from an obsolete Dutch phrase meaning "whirling stream."
Vocabulary lists containing maelstrom
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Words from "The Avengers"
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"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
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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.
Her motto is to keep a “cool head” amid the maelstrom.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Karp led one of the country’s biggest law firms for 18 years and had survived a maelstrom less than a year ago when he struck a first-of-its-kind settlement with President Trump on his firm’s behalf.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
The country of 52 million, with the world’s No. 14 economy, has emerged from the maelstrom of 2025 in a geoeconomic sweet spot.
From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025
Grimes flipped cheerleader routines into an overwhelming bitcrushed force, burying them in a maelstrom of bleeps, bloops and primal screams that sounded like the optimism of Silicon Valley crashing down around her ears.
From Salon • Nov. 7, 2025
He must pull the paddle free from the rocks now and force himself into that maelstrom.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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.
