noun
maelstrom
MAYL-struhm
noun
1
A large, violent whirlpool.
"The current pulled the small boat toward a churning maelstrom near the rocks."
2
A chaotic, turbulent, or overwhelming situation.
"The scandal plunged the company into a maelstrom of lawsuits and resignations."
"She stepped off the plane straight into a maelstrom of reporters and cameras."
How to Use Maelstrom
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dangerous whirlpool, or — more commonly today — any chaotic, swirling mess of events.
Common pairings
a maelstrom of
caught in a maelstrom
a political maelstrom
Word Forms
maelstroms plural
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Etymology
Originally the name of a legendary whirlpool off the coast of Norway, from Dutch maelstrom ("whirling stream"); popularized in English by Edgar Allan Poe's 1841 story "A Descent into the Maelström".