Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun hornet's_nest

2 senses of hornet's nest

Sense 1
hornet's nest, hornets' nest -- (a highly contentious or hazardous situation; "talk of invading Iraq stirred up a political hornets' nest")
       => situation -- (a complex or critical or unusual difficulty; "the dangerous situation developed suddenly"; "that's quite a situation"; "no human situation is simple")

Sense 2
wasp's nest, wasps' nest, hornet's nest, hornets' nest -- (habitation for wasps or hornets)
       => nidus -- (a nest in which spiders or insects deposit their eggs)