havoc

1 of 2

noun

hav·​oc ˈha-vək How to pronounce havoc (audio)
-vik
1
: wide and general destruction : devastation
A tornado wreaked havoc on the town two years ago.
2
: great confusion and disorder
the blackout caused havoc in the city

havoc

2 of 2

verb

havocked; havocking

transitive verb

: to lay waste : destroy

Examples of havoc in a Sentence

Noun The disease can play havoc with the body's immune system. Several small children can create havoc in a house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Their grievances justify lawbreaking, havoc, rampage. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024 Long lamented the havoc wreaked on motorists, who will be affected by the partial bridge closure well into 2025. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
Plankton: The Movie arrives exclusively on Netflix in 2025. 06 of 06 The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025) Next year SpongeBob returns to theaters with his fourth film, The Search for SquarePants, as Plankton wrecks havoc on Netflix. Rendy Jones, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for havoc 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English havok, from Anglo-French, modification of Old French havot plunder

Verb

derivative of havoc entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1575, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of havoc was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near havoc

Cite this Entry

“Havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/havoc. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

havoc

noun
hav·​oc
ˈhav-ək
1
: wide and general destruction
havoc caused by a tornado
2
: great confusion and disorder

More from Merriam-Webster on havoc

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!