- Today's Word
Maelstrom
MAYL-struhm
Definition
- (noun) A powerful, turbulent whirlpool.
- A situation of great confusion, chaos, or violent turmoil.
Example
The company’s sudden bankruptcy created a maelstrom of legal battles and financial uncertainty.
Fun Fact
The word “maelstrom” comes from a famous and feared whirlpool off the coast of Norway, first recorded in Dutch as maelstroom, meaning “grinding stream.” Though it originally described literal oceanic whirlpools, today it’s often used metaphorically to depict emotional, political, or societal chaos. Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne both used the term in literature, cementing its dramatic and powerful imagery.
(verb) To make something unclear, confusing, or difficult to understand.
The report’s dense jargon seemed designed to obfuscate the real issues rather than address them.
From Latin obfuscare, meaning “to darken” or “to obscure.”