Definition

Describing something that is very disorganized or chaotic, often in a way that is confusing or messy.

Example

The meeting was shambolic, with people talking over each other and no clear agenda.

Conversation

Did you see the way they organized the event last night?

Yeah, it was pretty shambolic to be honest.

I expected better planning from them, honestly.

Right? It felt like nobody knew what they were doing!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Shambolic originates from the word 'shambles' (from Old English 'sceamol', meaning a scene of disorder or a place of slaughter) combined with the suffix '-ic' (meaning pertaining to). The term 'shambolic' describes something that is chaotic or disorganized, reflecting a state of disorder.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'shambles' as a place of disorder, and when you add '-ic', it means something related to that chaos. So, shambolic helps you remember a state of being chaotic or disorganized.

Visually Confused Words