imbroglio

noun

im·bro·glio im-ˈbrōl-(ˌ)yō

plural imbroglios

Synonyms of imbroglio next

: an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding

: scandal sense 1a

survived the political imbroglio

: a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : embroilment

: an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel)

: 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.

Examples of imbroglio in a Sentence

a celebrated imbroglio involving some big names in the New York literary scene

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.

In the context of present-day fears about political violence, a milestone in the 2000 election imbroglio came on Nov. 22, when hundreds of mostly male protesters barreled into Miami’s Stephen P. Clark Government Center to protest Miami-Dade’s ongoing recount of votes. —

Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024 The Long Island sisters sued Fletcher Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Fountain Inn, S.C., and Star of David Memorial Chapels in West Babylon, New York, for $60 million in damages after the interment imbroglio last February. —

Christina Coulter, Fox News, 29 Sep. 2024 The doping imbroglio, however, shouldn’t take anything away from Sinner’s accomplishments in New York. —

Sean Gregory, TIME, 7 Sep. 2024 In this imbroglio, the security sector is likely to be a decisive player. —

Michael Bratton, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2016 See all Example Sentences for imbroglio