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View synonyms for pell-mell

pell-mell

or pell·mell

[ pel-mel ]

adverb

  1. in disorderly, headlong haste; in a recklessly hurried manner.
  2. in a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, manner, etc.:

    The crowd rushed pell-mell into the store when the doors opened.



adjective

  1. indiscriminate; disorderly; helter-skelter:

    a pell-mell dash after someone.

  2. overhasty or precipitate; rash:

    pell-mell spending.

noun

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

pell-mell

/ ˈpɛlˈmɛl /

adverb

  1. in a confused headlong rush

    the hounds ran pell-mell into the yard

  2. in a disorderly manner

    the things were piled pell-mell in the room

“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


adjective

  1. disordered; tumultuous

    a pell-mell rush for the exit

“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

noun

  1. disorder; confusion
“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

pell-mell

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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of pell-mell1

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French pelemele, Old French pesle mesle, rhyming compound based on mesler “to mix”; meddle
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pell-mell1

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

He pointed to them and began to run pell-mell back to the border, and I followed.

For now, the momentum does appear to be firmly behind the rebel forces in the east and their pell-mell dash through the desert.

We sat down pell-mell, anywhere, I next to Liszt, who kept putting things on my plate.

The scene beggars description; bags, bundles, bales, boxes are pitched out pell-mell.

Now, here seemed simple panic: and like a pack of dogs which rush to mangle a mongrel, they were at him pell-mell.

Her first thought was of the rabbit, and she came running pell-mell across the garden to greet him.

Toby clapped both hands to his ears, and in a flash the red-headed girl seized Bumper in her arms and ran pell-mell from the room.

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