imbroglio

noun

im·​bro·​glio im-ˈbrōl-(ˌ)yō How to pronounce imbroglio (audio)
plural imbroglios
1
a
: an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding
b
: scandal sense 1a
survived the political imbroglio
c
: a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : embroilment
d
: an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel)
2
: 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 The agency could use the resulting internet imbroglio to educate people about the best practices for off-road vehicles on public lands. Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2023 Whatever the outcome, the current imbroglio is almost certain to mark a turning point for Washington’s role in the region. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2024 But the basic story is laid out, starkly, in court papers from the lawsuit and countersuit that followed the imbroglio. Indrani Sen, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024 After hearing about the memorabilia imbroglio, Nimoy cut his Larchmont pie intake to zero. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Consider the Canadian flax imbroglio: In 2021, a flax farmer responded with a thumbs-up emoji to a contract from a potential buyer. Lora Kelley, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2023 In his first interview after the advertising campaign imbroglio of 2022, Demna recommits to the work of making clothes. Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2023 The Altman imbroglio demonstrated both Microsoft’s lack of control and its influence. Dina Bass, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2023 In January 2019, Sánchez and Bezos themselves made front-page news when their love affair was made public in a National Enquirer imbroglio, prompting Bezos to post a call to arms decrying the tabloid. Chloe Malle, Vogue, 13 Nov. 2023

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.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from imbrogliare to entangle, from Middle French embrouiller — more at embroil

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of imbroglio was in 1750

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Dictionary Entries Near imbroglio

Cite this Entry

“Imbroglio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imbroglio. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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