Dictionary.com
definitions

mayhem

[mey-hem, mey-uh m]
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mayhem ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Law. the crime of willfully inflicting a bodily injury on another so as to make the victim less capable of self-defense or, under modern statutes, so as to cripple or mutilate the victim.
random or deliberate violence or damage.
a state of rowdy disorder: Antagonisms between the various factions at the meeting finally boiled over, and mayhem ensued.

RELATED CONTENT

These Are The Words That Divide Us
Sometimes it feels as if our country is more divided than it’s ever been. With social media and cable news outlets acting as our own personal echo chambers, it feels like our political differences seem to be dividing us more than ever. But, we should also recognize that this isn’t the first instance of divisive politics in US history. Think about the incredibly tumultuous 1960s, …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

violence, commotion, havoc, pandemonium, fracas, anarchy, destruction, trouble, disorder

Origin of mayhem

1350–1400; Middle English maheym, maim < Anglo-French mahe(i)m, mahaim < Germanic; akin to Middle High German meidem gelding, Old Norse meitha to injure. See maim
Can be confusedmaim mayhem (see synonym study at maim)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mayhem

Contemporary Examples of mayhem

Historical Examples of mayhem

  • Something, Mayhem decided, had come up during transmigration.

  • It did not seem possible, Mayhem thought now, that a mistake could be made.

  • Mayhem dabbed at his Sirian forehead gratefully, mopping at sweat.

  • Mayhem's answer was a question, but the question didn't really require an answer.

    World Beyond Pluto

    C. H. Thames

  • But of course no one knew precisely when Mayhem's services might be required.

    World Beyond Pluto

    C. H. Thames

British Dictionary definitions for mayhem

mayhem

maihem

noun

law the wilful and unlawful infliction of injury upon a person, esp (formerly) the injuring or removing of a limb rendering him less capable of defending himself against attack
any violent destruction or confusion

Word Origin for mayhem

C15: from Anglo-French mahem injury, from Germanic; related to Icelandic meitha to hurt. See maim
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for mayhem
n.

late 15c., from Anglo-French maihem (13c.), from Old French mahaigne "injury, wrong, a hurt, harm, damage;" related to mahaignier "to injure, wound, mutilate, cripple" (see maim). Originally, in law, the crime of maiming a person "to make him less able to defend himself or annoy his adversary" [OED].

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper