Definition of IMBROGLIO

imbroglio

Meanings

Plural: imbrogli, imbroglios

Noun

  • an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situation
  • a very embarrassing misunderstanding
  • A complicated situation; an entanglement.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Italian imbroglio (“tangle, entanglement, muddle”) (im-, alternative form of in- (prefix forming verbs denoting derivation) + broglio (“confusion; intrigue, fraud, rigging, stuffing”); see also imbrogliare (“to tangle”)), cognate with and probably from an earlier form of French embrouiller (“to embroil, muddle”) (em- (“em-”), a form of en- (“en-”, prefix meaning ‘caused’) + brouiller (“to confuse, mix up”)).

Synonyms

embroilment, snarl

Scrabble Score: 14

imbroglio is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
imbroglio is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
imbroglio is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

imbroglio is a valid Words With Friends word