chaos
gb/kˈeɪɑs/ us/kˈeɪɑs/
B2
English
~ 6900
káosz, anarchia, determinisztikus káosz, őskáosz
NOUN
B2
1
káosz
B1
Usage pattern:
chaos in [something]
There was total chaos in the office after the computer system crashed.
Teljes káosz volt az irodában, miután összeomlott a számítógépes rendszer.
The kitchen descended into chaos as everyone tried to cook at the same time.
A konyhában elszabadult a káosz, amikor mindenki egyszerre próbált főzni.
Her thoughts were in chaos after she heard the shocking news.
Traffic was chaos this morning because of the heavy snow.
The sudden change of plan threw the meeting into chaos.
Learner examples
It was chaos at the airport after the storm.
A vihar után káosz volt a repülőtéren.
My room is chaos before I clean it.
Takarítás előtt káosz van a szobámban.
There was chaos in the classroom when the teacher left.
The city was in chaos during the big festival.
His mind was in chaos before the big exam.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "chaos" as countable and say *a chaos* or *many chaoses*. In modern English, "chaos" is almost always uncountable in this sense: say "there was chaos", "a lot of chaos", or "total chaos", not *a chaos*. Learners also overuse "mess"; "chaos" is stronger and suggests things feel out of control, not just untidy.
Meaning
complete disorder or confusion
Collocations
complete chaos
|utter chaos
|in chaos
|sheer chaos
|chaos and confusion
|controlled chaos
Synonyms
disorder (More general and slightly more formal; does not always suggest the same extreme level as chaos.)
|
confusion (Focuses more on not understanding; chaos often feels more intense and out of control.)
|
mayhem (Informal and vivid; often suggests noisy, wild physical activity, sometimes with damage.)
Antonyms
order (Suggests an arranged, well-organized state, the direct opposite of chaos.)
|
calm (Focuses on quiet and peace; chaos is noisy and stressful.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|work
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A situation where everything feels very messy, confusing, and not under control.
A state in which people, things, or events are extremely disorganized, confusing, or out of control.
NOUN
C1
2
Usage pattern:
chaos in [country/region]
The government resigned, leaving the country in chaos.
A kormány lemondott, aminek nyomán az ország anarchiába süllyedt.
After the dictator fell, the streets erupted in chaos and looting.
A diktátor bukása után az utcákon káosz és fosztogatás tört ki.
Fuel shortages created economic chaos across the region.
Police struggled to restore order amid the chaos in the capital.
Without a clear plan for transition, the revolution led to years of political chaos.
Learner examples
The city fell into chaos after the riot.
A zavargás után a város káoszba süllyedt.
War brought chaos to the whole country.
A háború az egész országot káoszba taszította.
There was chaos on the streets after the election.
The sudden change of leader caused political chaos.
People left the area because of the chaos and fear.
Common mistake:
Learners may use this strong, society-level sense of "chaos" for small everyday problems, where "problems" or "trouble" is more natural. In news contexts, "chaos" often suggests very serious breakdown, not just inconvenience.
Meaning
violent social or political disorder
Collocations
political chaos
|economic chaos
|social chaos
|post-war chaos
|the country descends into chaos
|chaos on the streets
Synonyms
anarchy (Stresses the absence of government or law; often slightly more formal or ideological than chaos.)
|
turmoil (Highlights great disturbance and anxiety; slightly softer and more general than chaos.)
Antonyms
stability (Emphasizes steady, predictable conditions in society, the opposite of chaotic upheaval.)
|
law and order (Focuses on effective control by authorities, preventing the kind of disorder described as chaos.)
Themes
politics
|society
|news
|law
Definition
A time when a country, city, or system is out of control, with trouble on the streets and no clear rules working.
A situation in which normal social, political, or economic order breaks down, often with violence, fear, and a loss of control by authorities.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
káosz
C1
Usage pattern:
chaos in [system/process]
The weather is often cited as a classic example of chaos in a natural system.
Az időjárást gyakran említik a természeti rendszerekben megjelenő káosz klasszikus példájaként.
Researchers used computer models to study the transition from order to chaos in the experiment.
A kutatók számítógépes modellekkel vizsgálták a rendből a káoszba való átmenetet a kísérletben.
Chaos theory helps explain why long-term weather forecasts are so unreliable.
The slightest change in initial conditions pushed the model into chaos.
In chaos, trajectories that start very close can diverge exponentially over time.
Learner examples
Scientists use chaos theory to study the weather.
A tudósok a káoszelméletet használják az időjárás vizsgálatára.
A small change can cause chaos in this kind of system.
Egy apró változás káoszt okozhat az ilyen típusú rendszerben.
The teacher gave an easy example of chaos in physics class.
Chaos makes it hard to predict what will happen next in the model.
Some simple rules can still create chaos in a computer program.
Common mistake:
Learners often think "chaos" in this context just means "a big mess". In science, it has a more specific meaning: behavior that follows rules but is extremely sensitive to starting conditions, making it very hard to predict.
Meaning
chaotic behavior in systems
Collocations
chaos theory
|deterministic chaos
|chaotic system
|the onset of chaos
|nonlinear chaos
|edge of chaos
Synonyms
chaotic dynamics (More technical; used mainly in scientific writing to describe this specific type of system behavior.)
Antonyms
stability (In dynamical systems, describes behavior that returns to equilibrium, unlike chaos which is sensitive and unpredictable.)
Themes
science
|mathematics
|physics
|technology
Definition
In science, a way that some systems change over time, where small changes at the start make very big and unpredictable differences later.
In mathematics and physics, a form of complex behavior in deterministic systems that is highly sensitive to initial conditions and produces patterns that appear random.
NOUN
C2
LITERARY
4
őskáosz
C1
Usage pattern:
chaos before [creation/order]
According to the myth, the gods shaped the world out of chaos.
A mítosz szerint az istenek az őskáoszból formálták meg a világot.
The poem describes a swirling cosmic chaos before the birth of light.
A vers kavargó kozmikus őskáoszt ír le a fény születése előtt.
In many ancient traditions, chaos is the raw material from which the universe emerges.
The story opens with images of darkness and chaos before any life exists.
Philosophers have long debated how order arose from chaos at the beginning of time.
Learner examples
The old story says the world began in chaos.
A régi történet szerint a világ az őskáoszból keletkezett.
In the legend, a god creates order from chaos.
A legendában egy isten rendet teremt az őskáoszból.
The writer talks about chaos before the universe.
Many myths start with dark chaos and then light.
The film shows chaos turning slowly into a new world.
Meaning
primordial formless state before creation
Collocations
primordial chaos
|formless chaos
|void and chaos
|cosmic chaos
|out of chaos
|chaos before creation
Synonyms
void (Often suggests emptiness rather than disorder; used in similar cosmological or poetic contexts.)
|
abyss (Literary and poetic; suggests a deep, dark, unfathomable space, sometimes used for this pre-creation state.)
Antonyms
cosmos (Refers to the ordered universe, often presented as arising from or opposed to chaos.)
|
creation (Highlights the act that brings order and form, ending the state of primordial chaos.)
Themes
religion
|mythology
|literature
Definition
In old stories and religious ideas, the empty, formless place that existed before the world began.
In mythology, religion, and literary writing, the dark, formless state of existence before the world or the ordered universe was created.
Grammar
Dictionary form
chaos
IPA
GB/kˈeɪɑs/
US/kˈeɪɑs/
Syllables & stress
chaos (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (chaos)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: chaos
- Plural: chaos
Word family
Core family
chaotic
adjective B1
chaotically
adverb B2
Expressions
chaos theory
6/kˈeɪɑs θˈiɚi/
fixed phrase
technical
scientific field studying chaos
A part of science and math that studies systems that are very sensitive to small changes and are hard to predict.
Examples
- He wrote his thesis on chaos theory and weather prediction.
- Chaos theory became popular outside science in the 1980s.
- The book gives a simple introduction to chaos theory for non‑experts.
controlled chaos
5/kəntɹˈoʊld kˈeɪɑs/
fixed phrase
informal
messy but secretly managed
A situation that seems very messy and wild, but someone is actually in control of it.
Examples
- The restaurant kitchen is a kind of controlled chaos on Friday nights.
- Parenting three small children often feels like controlled chaos.
- The event looked like chaos, but it was really controlled chaos.
in chaos
1/ˈɪn kˈeɪɑs/
fixed phrase
in a state of disorder
Used to say that something is very disorganized and not under control.
Examples
- The whole schedule is in chaos after the delays.
- After the storm, the town was in chaos for days.
- My life feels in chaos at the moment.
on the brink of chaos
7/ˈɔn ðə bɹˈɪŋk əv kˈeɪɑs/
fixed phrase
very close to chaos
Almost in a state of complete disorder, but not yet there.
Examples
- With no clear plan, the project is on the brink of chaos.
- The city felt on the brink of chaos as protests grew.
- Her schedule was on the brink of chaos before she learned to say no.
on the edge of chaos
9/ˈɔn ðə ˈɛd͡ʒ əv kˈeɪɑs/
fixed phrase
technical
between order and chaos
In science, a state between full order and full disorder, where a system can change in complex ways.
Examples
- Some researchers believe life thrives on the edge of chaos.
- The network operates on the edge of chaos, allowing both stability and change.
- Complex systems often evolve toward the edge of chaos.
order out of chaos
8/ˈɔɹdɚ ˈaʊt əv kˈeɪɑs/
idiom
literary
create order from disorder
To make something organized and clear from a very messy, confused situation.
Examples
- A good manager can bring order out of chaos.
- The artist works to create order out of chaos on the canvas.
- The new system finally brought order out of chaos in the office.
organized chaos
4/ˈɔɹɡənˌaɪzd kˈeɪɑs/
idiom
informal
seems chaotic but works
A place or activity that looks very messy or disorganized, but still works well.
Examples
- Her desk is a kind of organized chaos; she always knows where everything is.
- The workshop may look like organized chaos, but every tool has its place.
- The rehearsal was organized chaos, yet the show was perfect.
plunge into chaos
3/plˈʌnd͡ʒ ˈɪntu kˈeɪɑs/
idiom
rapidly fall into chaos
To very quickly become extremely disorganized and out of control.
Examples
- The region was plunged into chaos after the earthquake.
- One bad decision can plunge a project into chaos.
- The market plunged into chaos when the news broke.
throw into chaos
2/θɹˈoʊ ˈɪntu kˈeɪɑs/
idiom
suddenly cause disorder
To suddenly make a situation very confused and out of control.
Examples
- The sudden resignation of the CEO threw the company into chaos.
- The power cut threw the entire city center into chaos.
- The announcement threw our holiday plans into chaos.
descend into chaos
1/dɪsˈɛnd ˈɪntu kˈeɪɑs/
idiom
Fall into disorder and confusion
To become very disorganized and out of control.
Examples
- The meeting descended into chaos after the announcement.
- When the lights went out, the classroom descended into chaos.
descend into chaos
2/dɪsˈɛnd ˈɪntu kˈeɪɑs/
idiom
gradually become chaotic
To slowly become very disorganized and out of control.
Examples
- The meeting descended into chaos when everyone started talking at once.
- Without clear rules, the online discussion quickly descended into chaos.
- The country descended into chaos after the president fled.