Word of the Day: Turmoil

Turmoil (tûr’moil’), the verb, means to harass or to disturb. It is more widely used as a noun, however, where it means a state of confusion, agitation or tumult. A labor strike, for instance, can create turmoil inside a country.

Even the people most at fault for the recent turmoil—the creators of the collateralised-debt obligations (CDOs) and conduits that spread subprime-mortgage debt around the financial system—may end the year with new Porsches. (The Economist)