haywire
/ˈheɪwʌɪə
/adjective informal
Erratic; out of control: her imagination had gone haywire...
- But it is most likely that people have stopped buying hip-hop because the genre's quality control has gone haywire.
- With my senses haywire and out of control I had no way of detecting real danger.
- I felt my self control go haywire and my hand began to twitch uncontrollably.
Synonyms
out of control, out of order, erratic, faulty, not functioning properly;
chaotic, confused, crazy, wild, disorganized, disordered, topsy-turvy
informal on the blink, shambolic
British informal up the spout, wonky
Origin
1920s (originally US): from hay1 + wire, from the use of hay-baling wire in makeshift repairs.
- light cream
- light curve
- lighten
- lightener
- light engine
- lightening
- light entertainment
- lighter
- lighterage
- lighter fuel
- lighterman
- lighter socket
- lighter-than-air
- lightface
- lightfast
- lightfastness
- light-fingered
- light fitting
- light flyweight
- light-footed
- light-footedly
- light gun
- light-haired
- light-headed
- light-headedly