mayhem
Americannoun
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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.
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random or deliberate violence or damage.
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a state of rowdy disorder.
Antagonisms between the various factions at the meeting finally boiled over, and mayhem ensued.
noun
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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
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any violent destruction or confusion
Etymology
Origin of mayhem
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English maheym, maim, from Anglo-French mahe(i)m, mahaim, from Germanic; akin to Middle High German meidem “gelding,” Old Norse meitha “to injure”; see maim
Explanation
Mayhem is a violent and rowdy disturbance, like what you might experience at an overcrowded rock concert or a day-after-Thanksgiving sale. You may encounter several types of disturbances in your life, but mayhem is typically used for disturbances involving crowds. The word mayhem comes to us not from Latin, as many English words do, but from Anglo-French, a dialect of French that developed in England several centuries ago. We’re guessing those Anglo-French speakers had a reputation for being a pretty rowdy bunch.
Vocabulary lists containing mayhem
Speak
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Mayhem! Chaos! Pandemonium!
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Much of the humor, and there’s plenty, arises predictably out of the juxtaposition of smalltown Minnesota and Tarantino-esque mayhem; “Fargo” is forever on one’s mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The trio’s freewheeling banter spiced with humorous mayhem and mischief enchanted legions of viewers while bringing freshness to the familiar formula of news, weather and sports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Enthusiasm for tech shares boosted Asian stocks for a second day Wednesday, as more mayhem in the Middle East lifted Brent crude back above $92 a barrel and the yen came under renewed pressure.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
There was mayhem at the packed gathering of fans on 17 June, when Argentina star Lionel Messi scored his first 2026 Fifa World Cup goal by coolly slotting the ball past the Algerian goalkeeper.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid’s garden fence, looking in at the mayhem.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
