chaotic

adjective

cha·​ot·​ic kā-ˈä-tik 

1

: marked by chaos or being in a state of chaos : completely confused or disordered

a chaotic political race

After he became famous, his life became even more chaotic.

They may look chaotic and barbaric, but scrums are a critical and strategic part of the game, and they unfold and escalate according to hockey's venerated, unwritten rules of engagement.

—David Fleming

To the uninitiated visitor, the seemingly chaotic energy of a typical Thai market may give the impression of a free-for-all, …

—Diane Ruengsom

2

mathematics : having outcomes that can vary widely due to extremely small changes in initial conditions

In other words, what comes out of the program's equations is extremely sensitive to what goes in. And that, as any mathematician would recognize, is one of the hallmarks of chaotic systems.

—Ingrid Wickelgren

A physical system—a weather system, say—is chaotic if a very slight change in initial conditions sends the system off on a very different course.

—Physics Today

chaotically

kā-ˈä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

a chaotically busy scene

Synonyms

• cluttered
• confused
• disarranged
• disarrayed
• disheveled
• dishevelled
• disordered
• disorderly
• higgledy-piggledy
• hugger-mugger
• jumbled
• littered
• messed
• messy
• muddled
• mussed
• mussy
• pell-mell
• rumpled
• sloppy
• topsy-turvy
• tousled
• tumbled
• unkempt
• untidy
• upside-down

Examples of chaotic in a Sentence

a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up

Recent Examples on the Web

The series shows what life is really like for the Baldwins — chaotic, funny, exhausting and filled with love. —Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025

The playful jab sets a humorous tone for what’s sure to be a chaotic day of competition and drama. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025

Spaces brimming with personality that feels intentional and curated, as opposed to chaotic. —Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2025

In the chaotic days after the fall of Assad, the Biden administration began to engage cautiously with the organization and its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, the de facto head of state in Damascus formerly known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Golani. —Warren P. Strobel, arkansasonline.com, 26 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1