chaotic

adjective

kā-ˈä-tik How to pronounce chaotic (audio)
Definition of chaoticnext
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chaotic Good Agile practices create structure around an inherently chaotic process. — Stephen Clark, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 The contempt hearing Hoskins’ comments come in the wake of a chaotic redistricting battle that has dominated Missouri politics for the past year. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026 Passengers described chaotic scenes on board the plane as the plane nosedived. — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 Passenger accounts described a chaotic scene near the cockpit. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chaotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaotic
  1. messy
  2. cluttered
  3. confused
  4. jumbled
  5. sloppy
Adjective
  • Nonna’s Meatball Sandwich Making meatballs at home can be a messy, overwhelming task.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The actors split in 2016, following 12 years together in total, although their messy divorce was only finalized in December 2024.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • The entrance and exits of Prambanan are also cluttered with vendors selling souvenirs and cold drinks — offering a good opportunity to pick up a bottle of water.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Limit items on surfaces and use trays to avoid a cluttered look.
    — Mallory Carra, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of cluttered
Adjective
  • On-the-ground responders became confused by a deluge of 911 calls.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Blandino was happy to have scored an invite, even if fans were confused.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • Entering the season, two quarterbacks sit in the top tier, followed by a drop-off to the second and third tiers — both of which are crowded and jumbled.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine a termite carving a path like a jumbled ball of string through a tree trunk, instead of an axe cleaving a single vector.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumbled
Adjective
  • One possibility is that teams are simply playing sloppier football.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But sloppy play extended the fifth inning and put the Dodgers in a hole again.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sloppy

Browse Nearby Words

chaoses
chaotic
chaotically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaotic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All