helter-skelter

[ hel-ter-skel-ter ]

adverb

1. in headlong and disorderly haste:

   The children ran helter-skelter all over the house.

2. in a haphazard manner; without regard for order:

   Clothes were scattered helter-skelter about the room.

adjective

1. carelessly hurried; confused:

   They ran in a mad, helter-skelter fashion for the exits.

2. disorderly; haphazard:

   Books and papers were scattered on the desk in a helter-skelter manner.

noun

1. tumultuous disorder; confusion.

helter-skelter

/ ˈhɛltəˈskɛltə /

adjective

1. haphazard or carelessly hurried

adverb

1. in a helter-skelter manner

noun

1. a high spiral slide, as at a fairground
2. disorder or haste

Word History and Origins

Origin of helter-skelter¹

First recorded in 1585–95; rhyming compound, perhaps based on unattested skelt, Middle English skelten “to hasten”; further origin unknown); reduplication with initial h parallel to hubble-bubble, higgledy-piggledy, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of helter-skelter¹

C16: probably of imitative origin

Example Sentences

The slide wraps around the castle like an old helter skelter and the castle is a play den with turret.

From The Daily Beast

Excerpted from Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry copyright (c) 1974 by Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi.

From The Daily Beast

The rest of the folk go helter-skelter thither, the nose of one under the tail of the other; but you follow a wiser fashion.

From Project Gutenberg

These we filled with the remaining seedlings, helter skelter, just for a splash of colour, and watered from the brook itself.

From Project Gutenberg

When he sees anyone coming, he gives a yell that lasts a minute, and then the whole troop sets off helter-skelter.

From Project Gutenberg

Helter-skelter the men rushed out, Tony and his mates in front.

From Project Gutenberg

But it is not only a matter of reaching a systematic instead of a helter-skelter enjoyment of 116 the offerings of the world.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• haphazard
• headlong
• jumbled