imbroglio

noun

im·​bro·​glio im-ˈbrōl-(ˌ)yō 

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.

Synonyms

• altercation
• argle-bargle [chiefly British]
• argument
• argy-bargy [chiefly British]
• battle royal
• bicker
• brawl
• contretemps
• controversy
• cross fire
• disagreement
• dispute
• donnybrook
• falling-out
• fight
• hassle
• kickup
• misunderstanding
• quarrel
• rhubarb
• row
• scrap
• set-to
• spat
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

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 ensuing internet imbroglio was predictable — right-wing culture warriors including Piers Morgan and Bari Weiss took Adichie’s side, while trolls harassed her detractors. —Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025

Amid the swirl of affairs, scandals, and imbroglios that make up this astonishing life, one element remains fixed: Mahler-Werfel’s inexhaustible passion for music and the arts. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

This past Summer there was a rather significant imbroglio between China and Japan in which it was reported that China was suspending delivery of rare earth minerals to Japan over a fishing boat incident. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Jan. 2011

Perez, a Kendall area resident who represents a western Miami-Dade district, says a little communication could have gone a long way to preventing the whole imbroglio. —Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025

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

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