Imbroglio

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian imbroglio (“tangle, entanglement, muddle”), from imbrogliare (“to tangle”), related to French embrouiller (“to muddle, confuse”), from prefix en-/em- (“to cause”) + brouiller (“to mix up, confuse”).

Transliteration

• Katakana: イムブロウリョウ
• Hangul: 임브로울료

Noun

imbroglio (plural imbroglios or imbrogli)

1. A complicated situation; an entanglement or confusing set of circumstances.
2. A complicated & embarrassing state, serious misunderstanding.

Usage

Often used to describe political, social, or personal situations that have become tangled, messy, or difficult to resolve.

Examples

• The negotiations turned into an imbroglio of conflicting interests.
• What began as a simple misunderstanding quickly escalated into a full-blown imbroglio.
• An imbroglio developed between the representatives of the opposing waifu shippers.

Related terms

• embroil
• entanglement
• muddle

Synonyms

• snarl
• tangle
• mess
• complication

See also

• imbrogliare
• embrouille