Definition of MAELSTROM

Did You Know?

Maelstrom comes from an early Dutch proper noun that literally meant "turning stream." The original Maelstrom is a channel that has dangerous tidal currents located off the northwest coast of Norway. The word became popularized in the general vocabulary of English in reference to a powerful whirlpool, or something akin to one, in the 19th century. This was partly due to its use by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne (whose writing was widely translated from French) in stories exaggerating the tempestuousness of the Norwegian current and transforming it into a whirling vortex.

Examples of maelstrom in a Sentence

She was caught in a maelstrom of emotions. The ship was drawn into the maelstrom.

Recent Examples on the Web

In this case, Hart didn’t get accidentally caught up in a maelstrom driven by angry people. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Why the Kevin Hart Oscars backlash is different from other recent public shamings," 5 Jan. 2019 This maelstrom is an exhausting workout for wrist and arms. — David Dubal, WSJ, "Studies in Reckless Virtuosity," 16 Nov. 2018 At the center of the maelstrom is Mr. Carlson-Wee, a Silicon Valley star who wears neon tracksuits, has five earrings and routinely eats only a plate of refried beans, garlic and cheese for dinner. — Rob Copeland, WSJ, "Olaf Carlson-Wee Rode the Bitcoin Boom to Silicon Valley Riches. Can He Survive the Crash?," 11 Sep. 2018 Over the ensuing days, a politically fueled, anti-gun maelstrom has swirled around the central question: Who or what was responsible for the horror? — Paul Jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, "Cellphones aren’t blamed in texting-while-driving deaths. Why blame guns for mass shootings?," 31 Mar. 2018 This maelstrom is a ravaged place where champions scavenge keys in hope of unlocking hallowed vaults. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "KeyForge: The red-hot card game where every deck is unique—and unchangeable," 15 Dec. 2018 The directors of this mythological maelstrom, Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun, use the flexibility of animation to create visual metaphors that represent the beauty and the terror of passing from one realm to the next. — Teo Bugbee, New York Times, "Review: ‘Big Fish & Begonia’ Animates the Drama of Mortality," 5 Apr. 2018 Many Republican candidates have received sudden bursts of support when caught in the maelstrom of the nation’s charged politics. — Matt Viser, The Seattle Times, "‘An angry mob’: Republicans work to recast Democratic protests as out-of-control anarchy," 8 Oct. 2018 Maybe this makes Arnold the ideal person to bring Trump down, then, because someone with a similar lack of shame might be just the person to fly into the maelstrom, Captain Ahab style. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "The Hunt for the Trump Tapes with Tom Arnold, explained," 18 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maelstrom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.