pell-mell

or pell·mell

[pel-mel]

See more synonyms for pell-mell on Thesaurus.com

adverb

in disorderly, headlong haste; in a recklessly hurried manner.
in a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, manner, etc.: The crowd rushed pell-mell into the store when the doors opened.

adjective

indiscriminate; disorderly; confused: a pell-mell dash after someone.
overhasty or precipitate; rash: pell-mell spending.

noun

a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, etc.
disorderly, headlong haste.

Origin of pell-mell

1570–80; < Middle French pelemele, Old French pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler to mix. See meddle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for pell-mell

chaotic, confused, disorganized, haphazard, muddled, hastily, headlong, helter-skelter, impetuously, indiscreetly, posthaste, rashly, recklessly, heedlessly, incontinently, anarchy, chaos, clutter, confusion, disarray

Examples from the Web for pell-mell

Contemporary Examples of pell-mell

For now, the momentum does appear to be firmly behind the rebel forces in the east and their pell-mell dash through the desert.
Libya's Rebels Advance on Gaddafi's Hometown
Babak Dehghanpisheh
March 5, 2011

Historical Examples of pell-mell

This was promptly followed by a pell-mell dash for the open.
The Law-Breakers
Ridgwell Cullum
Thus the facts reach us pell-mell, without distinction of nature.
Introduction to the Study of History
Charles V. Langlois
On board went the Rough Riders pell-mell, and not a minute too soon.
American Boy's Life of Theodore Roosevelt
Edward Stratemeyer
Pell-mell down the stairs rushed the youths, one after another.
Dave Porter in the Gold Fields
Edward Stratemeyer
The condemned were loaded into them pell-mell, with hands tied.
The Gods are Athirst
Anatole France

British Dictionary definitions for pell-mell

pell-mell

adverb

in a confused headlong rushthe hounds ran pell-mell into the yard
in a disorderly mannerthe things were piled pell-mell in the room

adjective

disordered; tumultuousa pell-mell rush for the exit

noun

disorder; confusion

Word Origin for pell-mell

C16: from Old French pesle-mesle, jingle based on mesler to meddle

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 pell-mell

adv.

"confusedly," 1570s, from Middle French pêle-mêle, from Old French pesle mesle (12c.), apparently a jingling rhyme on the second element, which is from the stem of the verb mesler "to mix, mingle" (see meddle). Phonetic French form pelly melly is attested in English from mid-15c.

pell-mell in Culture

pell-mell

In a confused, disorderly manner: “After the assembly, the students ran pell-mell from the auditorium.”