shit show

noun

variants or less commonly shitshow or shit-show
plural shit shows also shitshows or shit-shows
informal + vulgar
: something (such as an event or a situation) that is chaotic, contentious, or unpleasant to an excessive or absurd degree
And while shouting yourself hoarse might not change what the Chicago organizers call "the shit show that is American politics," it could be pretty cathartic.Drew Schwartz
"… one day, you wake up and have hundreds of people working for you and it's kind of working and it's really hard to imagine how something like that couldn't be a complete shit show."Andrew Mason
"Your relationship wasn't going to be a magical fantasy," he says. "It was going to be a shitshow."Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
… Public Enemy's … return … is one of few bright spots in a shit-show of a year.Jacinta Howard
I'm a therapist who helps people learn to be resilient in the face of life's uncertainties. But even I catch myself feeling anxious about how to stay motivated when I'm feeling down—especially in the shit-show that is dating in New York.Megan Bruneau

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shit show was in 1976

Dictionary Entries Near shit show

Cite this Entry

“Shit show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shit%20show. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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