havoc
/ˈhævək/ (bre, ipa) · [hˈævək] /ˈhævək/ (ame, ipa) · [hˈævək] /ˈha-vək -vik/ (ame, mw)
havoc — 名詞
1. a situation of great confusion, damage, or destruction, usually caused by a powe
混亂；破壞
大規模破壞與混亂的狀態
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.
颱風在日本北部沿海地區造成嚴重破壞，摧毀了超過兩百艘漁船。
wreak havoc on [place/group]
A computer virus wreaked havoc with the hospital's database, erasing years of patient records.
電腦病毒在醫院的資料庫裡橫行，刪除了多年的病患紀錄。
wreak havoc with [system/process]
The new train schedule played havoc with Mira's carefully planned daily commute.
新的火車時刻表打亂了 Mira 精心規劃的每日通勤路線。
A small misunderstanding about the seating chart caused total havoc at the wedding reception.
一場關於座位安排的小誤會，在婚禮上造成了極大的混亂。
The sudden storm created havoc along the Thai coastline, sinking dozens of fishing boats.
突如其來的暴風雨在泰國海岸沿線造成混亂，數十艘漁船因此沉沒。
- 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 — 動詞
- 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
摧毀；蹂躪
暴力破壞或毀滅某物
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.
地震摧毀了那座山村，把每一間石屋和穀倉都壓垮了。
transitive use: havoc + [place]
The invading army havocked the countryside, burning farms and stealing livestock.
入侵的軍隊蹂躪了鄉間，燒毀農舍並搶走牲畜。
Wildfires havocked large areas of the national park last summer.
去年夏天，野火摧毀了國家公園的大片區域。
The floodwaters havocked the low-lying districts, ruining homes and shops alike.
洪水肆虐低窪地區，房屋與商店無一倖免。
- 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.