imbroglio
pronunciation
How to pronounce imbroglio in British English:
UK [ɪmˈbrəʊliəʊ]
How to pronounce imbroglio in American English:
US [ɪmˈbroʊlioʊ]
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- Noun:
- an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situation
- a very embarrassing misunderstanding
Word Origin
- imbroglio (n.)
- 1750, from Italian imbroglio, from imbrogliare "confuse, tangle," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + brogliare "embroil," probably from Middle French brouiller "confuse" (see broil (v.2); also see embroil).
Example
- 1. Dealing with the regional imbroglio may prove even trickier .
- 2. Mr cohen himself has not been named as a defendant now or before , but the complaint places him at the heart of the action in the pharmaceutical imbroglio .
- 3. One way out of the imbroglio , suggests a japanese diplomat , might be for the government to ask prosecutors to impose a nominal fine on the captain and release him .
- 4. In his first imbroglio , the commander in chief found himself trapped between gay-rights activists and his own joint chiefs of staff .
- 5. Much of the imbroglio should have been avoided months earlier , said people close to the matter , because yahoo hired a firm to vet mr. thompson 's background .