shambles

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++sham·bles /ˈʃæmbəlz/ noun be (in) a shambles informal a) if something is a shambles, it is very disorganized and there is a lot of confusion 一团糟；非常混乱 The meeting was a shambles from start to finish. 这次会议从头到尾都开得一团糟。 The economy is in a complete shambles. 经济混乱不堪。 b) if a place is a shambles, it is very untidy 〔地方〕一片混乱，凌乱不堪 SYN mess My house is in an absolute shambles. 我的房子里凌乱不堪。

Examples from the Corpus

shambles• It is all out of order because the preliminaries are a shambles.• But the room, the target of a 1968 arson, was in a shambles.• This kitchen is a shambles!• Now it is merely a shambles.• The scrums, in particular, were a shambles, with Haslemere being driven off their own ball.• He liked the fact that he had fought back from the break-up with Yamaguchi, revived a career in shambles.• Much around Lilly is in shambles.Origin shambles (1900-2000) shambles “place where animals are killed for meat, scene of great killing or destruction” ((16-20 centuries)), from shamble “table from which meat is sold, meat market” ((14-19 centuries)), from Old English scamul “counter, stool”

sham·bles nounChineseSyllable

it Corpus very there disorganized if is a and shambles, is something

See shamble for more

shambles
sham‧bles /ˈʃæmbəlz/

noun

Date: 1900-2000
Origin: shambles 'place where animals are killed for meat, scene of great killing or destruction' (16-20 centuries), from shamble 'table from which meat is sold, meat market' (14-19 centuries), from Old English scamul 'counter, stool'

be (in) a shambles informal
a. if something is a shambles, it is very disorganized and there is a lot of confusion:

The meeting was a shambles from start to finish.

The economy is in a complete shambles.
  b. if a place is a shambles, it is very untidy
   SYN mess:

My house is in an absolute shambles.

THESAURUS

   ▪ failure noun [countable] someone or something that is not successful: The book was a complete failure. | I felt a complete failure.
   ▪ flop noun [countable] informal something that is not successful because people do not like it – used especially about a film, play, product, or performance: Despite the hype, the movie was a flop at the box office. | Their next computer was a flop.
   ▪ disaster noun [countable] used when saying that something is extremely unsuccessful: Our first date was a disaster. | Their marriage was a total disaster.
   ▪ fiasco noun [countable usually singular] something that is completely unsuccessful and goes very badly wrong – used especially about things that have been officially planned, which go very wrong: The baggage system broke down on the first day the airport was open. It was a complete fiasco. | The fiasco came close to ending de Gaulle's political career.
   ▪ debacle noun [countable usually singular] formal an event or situation that is a complete failure, because it does not happen in the way that it was officially planned: the banking debacle that has put our economy at risk
   ▪ shambles noun [singular] especially British English if a situation or event is a shambles, it is completely unsuccessful because it has been very badly planned or organized, and no one seems to know what to do: The first few shows were a shambles, but things soon got better.
   ▪ washout noun [singular] informal a failure – used when something is so bad that it would be better if it had not happened: The play wasn’t a complete washout; the acting was okay. | His most recent and ambitious project, a big-budget Hollywood film, was a washout with both critics and audiences alike.
   ▪ turkey noun [countable] informal something that is so bad and unsuccessful that you think the people involved should be embarrassed about it – a very informal use: At the time most people thought the car was a complete turkey. | Since then he has appeared in a string of turkeys.

sham·bles

BrE

/ˈʃæmblz/

🔊

NAmE

/ˈʃæmblz/

🔊

noun

[singular]

(

informal

)