melee

¹

Or mê·lée

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

noun

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

2. confusion; turmoil; jumble.

   the melee of Christmas shopping.

adjective

1. 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: You can choose any melee weapon type, but most players prefer daggers since the polearm was nerfed in an expansion last year.

   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.

melee

²

[mey-ley, mey-ley]

noun

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

melee

/ ˈmɛleɪ /

noun

1. a noisy riotous fight or brawl

Word History and Origins

Origin of melee¹

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

Origin of melee²

First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of melee¹

C17: from French mêlée. See _medley

Example Sentences

Accompanying Hedda throughout is a choir of scooping notes, which by the film’s chaotic finale crescendo into a slightly horrific melee of wild vocals.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the melee, the little bird fell off Lady Constance’s hat and disappeared somewhere in the nursery.

Read more on Literature

The Yanited manager later said he had been "gripped up and kicked" while in the middle of a melee on the pitch.

Read more on BBC

They quickly detained the man, and a melee ensued as the group fought to stay together.

Read more on BBC

“What they’re saying to the court is, ‘We need to be able to violate the law and shoot these people indiscriminately or else it’s gonna be a melee.’

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brawl 
• brouhaha 
• clash 
• fracas 
• free-for-all 
• ruckus 
• scrimmage 
• scuffle 
• skirmish 
• tussle