a situation in which things are seriously damaged, destroyed or very confused 灾害;祸患;浩劫 The floods caused havoc throughout the area. 洪水给整个地区带来了灾害。 Continuing strikes are beginning to play havoc with the national economy. 持续的罢工开始严重破坏国家经济。 These insects can wreak havoc on crops. 这些昆虫可严重危害农作物。
Extra ExamplesThe fog played havoc with flight schedules. 大雾扰乱了航班时刻表。 The new tax could wreak havoc among smaller companies. 新税种可能会给小公司带来一场大灾难。 The storm caused havoc to wildlife. 暴风雨给野生生物带来了一场浩劫。 This new virus has created havoc for computer users. 这种新病毒已经给计算机用户造成灾难。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + havoc- cause
- create
- play
- …
- havoc among
- havoc for
- havoc in
- …
Word Originlate Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French havok, alteration of Old French havot, of unknown origin. The word was originally used in the phrase cry havoc (Old French crier havot) ‘to give an army the order havoc’, which was the signal for plundering.