havoc

(hăv'ək)
n.

1. Widespread destruction; devastation.
2. Disorder or chaos: a wild party that created havoc in the house.

tr.v., -ocked, -ock·ing, -ocs.
To destroy or pillage.

[Middle English havok, from Anglo-Norman (crier) havok, (to cry) havoc, variant of Old French havot, plundering, of Germanic origin.]

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noun

The act of destroying or state of being destroyed: bane, destruction, devastation, ruin, ruination, undoing, wrack¹, wreck, wreckage. See help/harm/harmless, leftover.

verb

To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war: depredate, despoil, loot, pillage, plunder, ransack, rape, ravage, sack², spoliate, strip¹. Archaic harrow, spoil. See crimes, give/take/reciprocity.

n

Definition: chaotic situation
Antonyms: peace

IN BRIEF: Great damage or destruction.

But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden. — Buddha (563-483 BC)

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For a list of words related to havoc, see:

• Violent Events - havoc: ruinous destruction or devastation; chaos

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See words rhyming with "havoc."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Havoc.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - ødelæggelse, nederlag, blodbad
v. tr. - ødelægge

idioms:

• play havoc with    ødelægge, anrette skade

Nederlands (Dutch)
ravage, vernietiging, vernieling, plunder, roof

Français (French)
n. - dévastation, ravage
v. tr. - dévaster, provoquer des dégâts

idioms:

• play havoc with    chambouler

Deutsch (German)
n. - Verwüstung, Zerstörung, Chaos
v. - vernichten, verwüsten, zerstören

idioms:

• play havoc with    schädigen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πανωλεθρία, καταστροφή, ερήμωση, αναστάτωση, χάος

idioms:

• play havoc with    καταστρέφω, σμπαραλιάζω, φέρνω άνω κάτω

Italiano (Italian)
strage, rovina

idioms:

• play havoc with    distruggere
• wreak havoc    devastare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - devastação (f)

idioms:

• play havoc with    arruinar
• wreak havoc    causar destruição

Русский (Russian)
опустошение, разрушение, разорять

idioms:

• play havoc with    опустошать
• wreak havoc    опустошать, наносить ущерб, приводить в хаотическое состояние

Español (Spanish)
n. - estragos, destrucción
v. tr. - estropear, arruinar

idioms:

• play havoc with    causar estragos entre, causar enorme confusión y dificultades, hacer estragos en

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - förstörelse

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
大破坏, 蹂躏, 严重破坏

idioms:

• play havoc with    使陷入大混乱

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大破壞, 蹂躪
v. tr. - 嚴重破壞

idioms:

• play havoc with    使陷入大混亂

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 위력을 부림, 대파괴, 황폐
v. tr. - 크게 파괴하다, 쑥밭을 만들다

idioms:

• play havoc with    ~을 때려 부수다, ~을 혼란케 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 大破壊, 荒廃, 大混乱

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) خراب, دمار, فوضى شديدة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הרס, אנדרלמוסיה‬
v. tr. - ‮הרס‬

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