haywire
C1/C2Informal, colloquial
Definition
Meaning
Wire used for binding bales of hay or straw; something simple and functional.
Out of control; disordered, malfunctioning; erratic or chaotic.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The extended meaning stems from the idea of tangled or broken hay-tying wire causing disorder. It primarily functions as an adjective after linking verbs or in compound adjectives. Rarely used in its literal sense in modern everyday language.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Slightly more common in American English.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties: implies a sudden, unexpected descent into chaos.
Frequency
Low-frequency in formal contexts in both regions, but understood and used in informal speech and writing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
go haywirebe haywireVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “go haywire”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"After the merger, the IT systems went haywire for a week."
Academic
Rare; might appear in informal descriptions of experimental failures.
Everyday
"My sleep schedule has gone completely haywire since the holidays."
Technical
Not used in technical manuals; informal substitute for 'malfunctioning'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- *Note: 'haywire' is not a verb. The verb is implied in the phrase 'go haywire'.
American English
- *Note: 'haywire' is not a verb. The verb is implied in the phrase 'go haywire'.
adverb
British English
- *Note: 'haywire' is not standard as an adverb. Use 'chaotically' or 'erratically'.
American English
- *Note: 'haywire' is not standard as an adverb. Use 'chaotically' or 'erratically'.
adjective
British English
- The railway signalling system's gone haywire again.
- His plans were a bit haywire from the start.
American English
- The traffic lights went haywire after the storm.
- Her finances are completely haywire.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My old phone goes haywire when it gets too cold.
- The stock market went haywire after the unexpected announcement.
- If your printer goes haywire, try turning it off and on again.
- The carefully orchestrated campaign went haywire when the key speaker failed to appear.
- His emotional state had gone completely haywire, swinging from elation to despair in minutes.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a farm where a bale of hay bursts, and its WIRE tangles everything up, causing CHAOS. Hay + wire = chaos.
Conceptual Metaphor
PHYSICAL TANGLING/DISORDER IS MENTAL/SYSTEMIC CHAOS (The physical property of tangled wire maps onto abstract states of dysfunction).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation. Not related to 'wire' alone. The Russian 'сломался' or 'вышел из строя' is closer for 'go haywire'. The adjective 'хаотичный' or 'неисправный' can be used.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a standard adjective before a noun without a linking verb (e.g., 'a haywire computer' is borderline; 'the computer is haywire' is correct). Confusing it with 'awry'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'haywire' used correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's borderline and informal. The standard pattern is after a linking verb (is/went/goes haywire). 'A malfunctioning machine' is more standard.
Both imply things going wrong. 'Awry' suggests deviation from a plan ('plans went awry'). 'Haywire' is stronger, implying active chaos, malfunction, or loss of control ('the machine went haywire').
Very rarely in modern general English. You might find it in historical or agricultural contexts referring to the actual wire used for baling.
It's understandable but non-idiomatic. 'Go haywire' is the fixed collocation. 'Become chaotic' or 'become dysfunctional' would be the formal equivalents.