chaotic

/keɪˈɒtɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /keɪˈɑːtɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /kā-ˈä-tik/ (ame, mw)

chaotic — adjective

  • chaoticpositive
  • more chaoticcomparative
  • most chaoticsuperlative

1. describing a situation, place, or process that has no order, where everything is

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a situation, place, or process that has no order, where everything is happening at once or things are out of control and hard to follow.

例句

The morning after the storm, traffic across the city was chaotic for nearly six hours.

predicative use after linking verb: be chaotic

Ignacio described his first week as a new teacher as completely chaotic.

intensifier collocation: completely / utterly chaotic

同義詞
  • disorganised

    lack of planning; weaker than 'chaotic', focused on missing structure rather than visible disorder

  • disorderly

    more formal; often used about crowds or behaviour breaking rules

  • turbulent

    stronger emotional or political sense; suggests violent change, not just mess

  • frantic

    emphasises speed and pressure on people, less about overall disorder

反義詞
  • orderly

    things arranged or done in a calm, systematic way

  • organised

    neutral opposite; planned and tidy

  • calm

    focuses on the absence of noise and rush rather than disorder

用法筆記

Frequently used both attributively (a chaotic morning) and predicatively (the morning was chaotic). Common intensifiers are 'completely', 'utterly', 'totally'; subject or modified noun is usually an event, place, period of time, or system rather than a person.

常見錯誤

❌He is a very chaotic person who shouts a lot.
✅He is a very disorganised person who shouts a lot.
💡'chaotic' usually describes situations, places, or schedules, not someone's character; for people, prefer 'disorganised' or 'unpredictable'.
❌The traffic is chaos this morning.
✅The traffic is chaotic this morning.
💡after 'be', use the adjective 'chaotic', not the noun 'chaos'.