melee

or mê·lée

[ mey-ley, mey-ley, mel-ey ]

/ ˈmeɪ leɪ, meɪˈleɪ, ˈmɛl eɪ /

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noun

a confused hand-to-hand fight or struggle among several people.

confusion; turmoil; jumble: the melee of Christmas shopping.

adjective

Games. of or relating to close-range or hand-to-hand combat, especially in video games and role-playing games, but also in some other tabletop games: I don't enjoy playing melee jobs like Monk or Warrior—I prefer to snipe from afar with an archer or even a mage.You can choose any melee weapon type, but most players prefer daggers since the polearm was nerfed in an expansion last year.

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Origin of melee

First recorded in 1640–50; from French mêlée “quarrel, mixture”; see origin at medley

Words nearby melee

meld, melder, Meldrew, Meleager, Meleagrides, melee, melena, M.El.Eng., Melete, meletin, -melia

Other definitions for melee (2 of 2)

melee²

[ mey-ley, mey-ley ]

/ ˈmeɪ leɪ, meɪˈleɪ /

noun

a group of diamonds, each weighing less than 0.25 carat.

Origin of melee

First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain

How to use melee in a sentence

His crew either perished in the melee or were hanged in New Orleans.
The Buccaneers embody Tampa’s love of pirates. Is that a problem?|Jamie Goodall|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Somehow, Capitol food service operations still appeared to be up and running through the melee.
Inside the assault on the Capitol: Evacuating the Senate|Paul Kane|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
The event ended, deplorably, in a riotous melee that police had to break up.
In HBO’s magnificent Bee Gees documentary, broken hearts — and icon status — can finally be mended|Hank Stuever|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
Ten members of the group were eventually charged following the violent melee, with two ultimately sentenced to serve four-year terms in prison in October 2019.
The Proud Boys, explained|Jane Coaston|October 1, 2020|Vox

Although a dozen or more coalitions may enter the melee, only one can emerge victorious.
Blood, death, and eye gouging: welcome to the world of acorn woodpeckers|Kate Baggaley|September 9, 2020|Popular-Science
In fact, Clark fell back first from her blows, losing his cap, tie, and badge in the melee.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was Orlando vs. Justin in an Ibiza melee with two highly unlikely opposing parties.
The Bloom-Bieber Brawl We Didn’t Know We Needed|Kevin O’Keeffe|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They made one last charge for the airport, and when the riot police blocked them again a melee ensued.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution|Jason McGahan|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Kurds entered a buffer zone on the Turkish border and in the melee at least four protestor were wounded.
Kobani Still Stands Against ISIS and All Odds. But for How Long?|Jamie Dettmer|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Silva, hapless Silva, got his merely for tangling with the Colombian goalkeeper in a clumsy melee of limbs.
Brazil and Colombia Bring the Ugly Game|Tunku Varadarajan|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one of his people had seen the melee from which he had emerged so ingloriously, yet humiliation was terrible.
The Way of an Indian|Frederic Remington
Three or four of George's companions were engaged in the melee, and some hard blows were given back and forth.
From Farm House to the White House|William M. Thayer
It was going to be a fine barrage, with guns going off in all directions, because it is hard to keep your head in a melee.
Highways in Hiding|George Oliver Smith
Bill was going to shoot right into the melee, but Haught knocked the rifle up, and forbid him to use it.
Tales of lonely trails|Zane Grey
In the melee a Boer horse (a plump one) was triumphantly captured and preserved for dissection.
The Siege of Kimberley|T. Phelan

British Dictionary definitions for melee

melee

mle

/ (ˈmɛleɪ) /

noun

a noisy riotous fight or brawl

Word Origin for melee

C17: from French mêlée. See medley

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

melee

or mê·lée

Origin of melee

Words nearby melee

Other definitions for melee (2 of 2)

Origin of melee

Words related to melee

How to use melee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for melee

mle

Word Origin for melee