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

Critics call them a chaotic attack that will have lasting impacts on America. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2025

Tkachuk brothers’ offense generation The Tkachuk brothers are well known for their innate ability to generate chances thanks to their chaotic playstyle and affinity for going to the dirty areas. —Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

Even changing the current political system in such a chaotic environment through a constitutional referendum being planned for May is not advisable, says the non-governmental International Crisis Group, which works to promote peace around the world. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025

That says everything about how fast-moving and chaotic the start of 2025 has been. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1