imbroglio

noun

im·bro·glio im-ˈbrōl-(ˌ)yō

plural imbroglios

Synonyms of imbroglio next

: an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding

: scandal sense 1a

survived the political imbroglio

: a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : embroilment

: an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel)

: a confused mass

Did you know?

Imbroglio and embroilment are more than just synonyms; they're also linked through etymology. Both descend from the Middle French verb embrouiller (which has the same meaning as embroil), from the prefix em-, meaning "thoroughly," plus brouiller, meaning "to mix" or "to confuse." (Brouiller is itself a descendant of an Old French word for "broth.") Early in the 17th century, English speakers began using embroil, a direct adaptation of embrouiller, as well as the noun embroilment. Meanwhile, the Italians were using their own alteration of embrouiller: imbrogliare, meaning "to entangle." In the mid-18th century, English speakers embraced the Italian noun imbroglio as well.

Examples of imbroglio in a Sentence

a celebrated imbroglio involving some big names in the New York literary scene

Recent Examples on the Web As a result of that effort, the number of stores reporting to Luminate has more than doubled to 315 stores, up from the 140 retailers that previously reported to Luminate before the imbroglio. —

Ed Christman, Billboard, 15 May 2024 In the cooking oil rift, U.S. growers of soy and other crops used to make renewable diesel stand to lose the most from the trade imbroglio, according to agriculture traders. —

Tarso Veloso, Fortune Asia, 14 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for imbroglio

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imbroglio.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.