Words / C2

WELT-uh/ˈweltə/

A welter is a large, confused mass: a welter of papers, a welter of claims. Mess is everyday; jumble is close. Writers use a welter of + plural when quantity and disorder arrive together. It is slightly literary; in speech, a heap or a mess of. Compare maelstrom, which is violent motion — a welter can just sit there being chaotic. Do not use it for a tidy large amount.

Meaning

A large, confused mass of something.

Examples

• “A welter of papers covered the desk.”
• “A welter of amendments made the bill unreadable.”
• “She waded through a welter of overlapping advice.”

Good to know

a welter of + plural. Disordered mass. Everyday: mess / jumble. Slightly literary. Contrast: maelstrom = violent swirl.

Near in meaning

jumble

New