Chaos

easyNegative tone

KAY-os

noun

Definition

Complete disorder and confusion

Memory hook

Think of the Greek void before creation - complete disorder with nothing in its right place.

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Word roots

khaosvoid, chasm(Greek)

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Examples

The sudden evacuation caused chaos in the building.
After the manager left, the office descended into chaos.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The sudden evacuation caused ______ in the building.
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chaos

Synonyms

disorderturmoilpandemoniummayhem

Antonyms

orderharmonyorganizationtranquility

Categories

View all Disorder words

GRE Tip

Chaos is a easy-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "disorder" or "turmoil" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "order".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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