Haywire

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Haywire

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective and noun

Pronunciation

HAY-wyre  /ˈheɪwaɪə/

Definition

As an adjective (informal): behaving in an erratic, out-of-control, or chaotic way; malfunctioning badly. As a noun: the thin wire used to bind bales of hay.

Plain meaning

Haywire means completely out of control — things go haywire when they malfunction badly, behave unpredictably, or descend into chaos. The origin is the thin wire that bound hay bales, notorious for its tendency to tangle and escape.

Register

Informal. Haywire is a casual, vivid word for loss of control or malfunction. Go haywire is the most common expression. It has a slightly old-fashioned quality in British English but remains widely understood and used.