imbroglio
Other forms: imbroglios
An imbroglio is a complicated or confusing personal situation. To rephrase the J. Geils band song, "Love Stinks," if you love her and she loves him and he loves somebody else, you've got quite an imbroglio.
Although an imbroglio is a tangled situation or a messy complicated misunderstanding, its history is just the opposite, clear as a bell. Imbroglio is just a borrowed word from Italian meaning "entanglement." If something embarrassing happens at a public event, such as a mishap during the musical performances at the Super Bowl, it is sometimes called an imbroglio.
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an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situationsynonyms: embroilmenttype of:situationa complex or critical or unusual difficulty
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a very embarrassing misunderstanding
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- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing imbroglio
When you’ve painted yourself in a corner, stirred up a hornet’s nest, or put yourself between a rock and a hard place, perhaps the best thing to do is talk about it, and that’s why there are so many expressions for being in a pickle. Whether you're up a creek without a paddle or just want to be prepared for future predicaments, these words will have you covered. For a deeper dive into the barrel, check out: Celebrate National Pickle Day the Wordy Way
We've scoured this week's entertainment news and rounded up our favorite vocab words from the stories that everyone's buzzing about.