havoc
/ˈhævək/ (bre, ipa) · [hˈævək] /ˈhævək/ (ame, ipa) · [hˈævək] /ˈha-vək -vik/ (ame, mw)
havoc — noun
1. a situation of great confusion, damage, or destruction, usually caused by a powe
a situation of great confusion, damage, or destruction, usually caused by a powerful force or sudden event such as a storm, war, or system failure
The typhoon wreaked havoc on Japan's northern coast, destroying over 200 fishing boats.
wreak havoc on [place/group]
A computer virus wreaked havoc with the hospital's database, erasing years of patient records.
wreak havoc with [system/process]
The new train schedule played havoc with Mira's carefully planned daily commute.
A small misunderstanding about the seating chart caused total havoc at the wedding reception.
The sudden storm created havoc along the Thai coastline, sinking dozens of fishing boats.
- chaos
emphasises complete disorder without necessarily implying physical damage
- devastation
stronger, emphasises large-scale physical destruction
- destruction
focuses on the damage itself rather than the confusion
- disorder
milder; can refer to minor disorganisation without crisis
文法句型
wreak havoc + on/with + something
play havoc with + something
cause havoc + in/among/for + something
用法筆記
Havoc is nearly always used in one of three fixed phrases: wreak havoc (most common), play havoc with, or cause havoc. It is an uncountable noun — do not write 'a havoc' or 'havocs'. The verb wreak is often confused with 'wreck' but is a separate word meaning to inflict or cause.
常見錯誤
havoc — verb
- havocpresent simple I / you / we / they
- havocs3rd person singular
- havocing-ing form
- havocedpast simple
1. to violently destroy or lay waste to a place, leaving it in a state of ruin
to violently destroy or lay waste to a place, leaving it in a state of ruin
The earthquake havocked the mountain village, crushing every stone house and barn.
transitive use: havoc + [place]
The invading army havocked the countryside, burning farms and stealing livestock.
Wildfires havocked large areas of the national park last summer.
The floodwaters havocked the low-lying districts, ruining homes and shops alike.
- devastate
the standard modern verb for large-scale destruction
- ravage
similarly strong, but more common than the verb 'havoc'
- lay waste to
a common phrasal alternative to the rare verb 'havoc'
文法句型
havoc + something
用法筆記
This verb is extremely rare in modern English. In nearly all contexts, the noun form is used instead (e.g. 'The earthquake wreaked havoc on the village'). You will most often encounter it in historical or literary texts from earlier centuries.