Shambles
noun
A state of total disorder.
My bedroom is a complete shambles.
Often appears as...
- in a shambles
- complete shambles
Usage tips
Colloquial
noun
A place of slaughter; an abattoir.
During the Middle Ages, butchers did their work in the shambles.
Often appears as...
- butcher's shambles
- medieval shambles
Usage tips
Disapproving
Historical
noun
A scene of mass wreckage or destruction.
After the hurricane, the city was a shambles.
Often appears as...
- city in shambles
- scene of shambles
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A state of total disorder.
My bedroom is a complete shambles.
Often appears as...
- in a shambles
- complete shambles
Usage tips
Colloquial
noun
A place of slaughter; an abattoir.
During the Middle Ages, butchers did their work in the shambles.
Often appears as...
- butcher's shambles
- medieval shambles
Usage tips
Disapproving
Historical
noun
A scene of mass wreckage or destruction.
After the hurricane, the city was a shambles.
Often appears as...
- city in shambles
- scene of shambles
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Figurative Use
Often used to describe situations messed up figuratively, not literally.
The company's strategy was a shambles after the market crash.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Tone
Used in casual conversation, not formal contexts.
The party was a shambles; guests left early.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Physical Mess
Refers to disorder in plans or situations, not always physical spaces.
Their vacation plans were in shambles due to the storm.
Pro Tip 1/3Figurative Use
Often used to describe situations messed up figuratively, not literally.
The company's strategy was a shambles after the market crash.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Tone
Used in casual conversation, not formal contexts.
The party was a shambles; guests left early.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Physical Mess
Refers to disorder in plans or situations, not always physical spaces.
Their vacation plans were in shambles due to the storm.
Pro Tip 1/3Figurative Use
Often used to describe situations messed up figuratively, not literally.
The company's strategy was a shambles after the market crash.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Tone
Used in casual conversation, not formal contexts.
The party was a shambles; guests left early.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Physical Mess
Refers to disorder in plans or situations, not always physical spaces.
Their vacation plans were in shambles due to the storm.
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Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
in the middle of the day the apartment was in near total darkness. The air was fetid, the room a shambles. Steve, both a lawyer and a psychologist, has treated many patients with severe mental illness, and to this day he'll say I was as bad as any he had ever seen. 'Hi,' I said, and then I returned to the couch,
Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
middle of the day the apartment was in near total darkness the air was fetid the room of shambles Steve both a lawyer and a psychologist has treated many patients with severe mental illness and to this day he'll say I was bad as bad as any he had ever seen hi I said and then I returned to the
Video examples
Africa’s rhyming history...
de Pape y elated we beg of your highness to help us in this matter because it is our will in these kingdoms that there should not be any trade in slaves nor market for slaves Zynga died the solution his dream of a genuine partnership with his brother King a shambles what if the insatiable
Video examples
Who Killed Dian Fossey?...
She kept her cabin pretty clean. Now you walk into this place of shambles. It's like night and day. The house was just smashed.
Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
in the middle of the day the apartment was in near total darkness. The air was fetid, the room a shambles. Steve, both a lawyer and a psychologist, has treated many patients with severe mental illness, and to this day he'll say I was as bad as any he had ever seen. 'Hi,' I said, and then I returned to the couch,
Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
middle of the day the apartment was in near total darkness the air was fetid the room of shambles Steve both a lawyer and a psychologist has treated many patients with severe mental illness and to this day he'll say I was bad as bad as any he had ever seen hi I said and then I returned to the
Video examples
Africa’s rhyming history...
de Pape y elated we beg of your highness to help us in this matter because it is our will in these kingdoms that there should not be any trade in slaves nor market for slaves Zynga died the solution his dream of a genuine partnership with his brother King a shambles what if the insatiable
Video examples
Who Killed Dian Fossey?...
She kept her cabin pretty clean. Now you walk into this place of shambles. It's like night and day. The house was just smashed.
Example 1 of 4
Quote examples
John Sununu
American Politician
You don't want to get so distracted, focusing on what the opposition is putting forth that you forget to remind America that the real issue is 8.3 percent unemployment, virtually no growth at all in an economy that has been in shambles for the last four years under Obama.
Quote examples
Kapil Sibal
Indian Politician
When I took over the ministry for science and technology, our weather systems were in shambles. Nobody believed in the IMD. Nothing was in digital mode. I changed all that. We got automatic rain gauges, automatic weather stations, Doppler radars.
Quote examples
William Gaddis
American Novelist
What is it they want from the man that they didn't get from the work? What do they expect? What is there left when he's done with his work, what's any artist but the dregs of his work, the human shambles that follows it around?
Quote examples
George Will
Journalist
Believing that a crisis is a useful thing to create, the Obama administration - which understands that, for liberalism, worse is better - has deliberately aggravated the fiscal shambles that the Great Recession accelerated.
Quote examples
W. Edwards Deming
American Scientist
In 1945, the world was in a shambles. American companies had no competition. So nobody really thought much about quality. Why should they? The world bought everything America produced. It was a prescription for disaster.
Quote examples
Zig Ziglar
American Author
I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.
Quote examples
H. P. Lovecraft
American Novelist
Throw a stick, and the servile dog wheezes and pants and shambles to bring it to you. Do the same before a cat, and he will eye you with coolly polite and somewhat bored amusement.
Quote examples
Priti Patel
British Politician
Only Boris Johnson will get the best Brexit deal for Britain, defeat Jeremy Corbyn's divisive shambles of an opposition, and govern the United Kingdom in the national interest.
Quote examples
Frank Dobson
British Politician
The present system of protecting NHS patients was a bit of a shambles.
Quote examples
Atishi
Indian Politician
Government school education across India is in shambles.
Quote examples
John Sununu
American Politician
You don't want to get so distracted, focusing on what the opposition is putting forth that you forget to remind America that the real issue is 8.3 percent unemployment, virtually no growth at all in an economy that has been in shambles for the last four years under Obama.
Quote examples
Kapil Sibal
Indian Politician
When I took over the ministry for science and technology, our weather systems were in shambles. Nobody believed in the IMD. Nothing was in digital mode. I changed all that. We got automatic rain gauges, automatic weather stations, Doppler radars.
Quote examples
William Gaddis
American Novelist
What is it they want from the man that they didn't get from the work? What do they expect? What is there left when he's done with his work, what's any artist but the dregs of his work, the human shambles that follows it around?
Quote examples
George Will
Journalist
Believing that a crisis is a useful thing to create, the Obama administration - which understands that, for liberalism, worse is better - has deliberately aggravated the fiscal shambles that the Great Recession accelerated.
Quote examples
W. Edwards Deming
American Scientist
In 1945, the world was in a shambles. American companies had no competition. So nobody really thought much about quality. Why should they? The world bought everything America produced. It was a prescription for disaster.
Quote examples
Zig Ziglar
American Author
I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.
Quote examples
H. P. Lovecraft
American Novelist
Throw a stick, and the servile dog wheezes and pants and shambles to bring it to you. Do the same before a cat, and he will eye you with coolly polite and somewhat bored amusement.
Quote examples
Priti Patel
British Politician
Only Boris Johnson will get the best Brexit deal for Britain, defeat Jeremy Corbyn's divisive shambles of an opposition, and govern the United Kingdom in the national interest.
Quote examples
Frank Dobson
British Politician
The present system of protecting NHS patients was a bit of a shambles.
Quote examples
Atishi
Indian Politician
Government school education across India is in shambles.
Example 1 of 10
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