melee

¹ American  

[may-lay, may-lay, mel-ay] / ˈmeɪ leɪ, meɪˈleɪ, ˈmɛl eɪ /

Or mêlée

noun

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

2. confusion; turmoil; jumble.

   the melee of Christmas shopping.

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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 American  

[may-lay, may-lay] / ˈmeɪ leɪ, meɪˈleɪ /

noun

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

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melee British  

/ ˈmɛleɪ /

noun

1. a noisy riotous fight or brawl

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Etymology

Origin of melee¹

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

Origin of melee²

First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain

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Explanation

A melee is a noisy free-for-all or rowdy fight — a no holds barred, battle royal, if you will. It's what pro wrestlers engage in every night, and shoppers endure at the toy store every holiday season. If you think melee sounds like a fancy French way to say "crazy bar brawl," you're right: It comes from the French mêlée which means "confused fight or mixture.” What makes a melee different than any other fight is that element of chaos or confusion — so don't jump into a brewing melee unless you're really ready to bring the ruckus.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melee

Georgia Hunter Bell emerged from a melee of screaming children telling her she was their idol onto the red carpet and said she felt "valued".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Do I have a sandbag to rest my head on while all this melee is happening around me?'

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Indeed, what has been grievously missed in the melee is that this is not really a press story at all—it is a story about court transparency and hubris.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

Henderson, who lived in downtown L.A., was waiting for a bus when the deadly melee began, according to his loved ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

By then, the moon was well up and the crowd was tired, so the king decreed that the last three matches would be fought the next morning, before the melee.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

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Related Words

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

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