Pell-mell — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective /ˌpel-ˈmel/

Meaning & Definition of Pell-mell

Pell-mell (adverb)

  1. in mingled confusion or disorder
  2. in confused haste

Pell-mell (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. acting or done with excessive or careless speed

    "when the theater doors opened, there was a pell-mell rush for the best seats"

    similar: cursory, drive-by, flying, gadarene, hasty, headlong, helter-skelter, hurried, overhasty, precipitate, precipitous, rash, rushed
    related: breakneck, breathtaking, headstrong, heady, hotheaded, impatient, impetuous, impulsive, madcap, reckless, unadvised, quick, rapid, speedy, swift, horseback, impromptu, makeshift, offhand, offhanded, off-the-cuff, rush, slapdash, snap, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment, abrupt, sudden
    opposite: deliberate, unhurried, unrushed
    near: calculated, calculating, measured, circumspect, foresighted, forethoughtful, drawn-out, extended, long-term, prolonged, faltering, hesitant, hesitating, tentative, dallying, dawdling, laggard, leisurely, poky, shilly-shallying, slow

  2. lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness

    "pell-mell piles of books everywhere in the professor's library"

    similar: chaotic, cluttered, confused, disarranged, disarrayed, disheveled, disordered, disorderly, higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled, littered, messed, messy, muddled, mussed, mussy, rumpled, sloppy, topsy-turvy, tousled, tumbled, unkempt, untidy, upside-down, at sixes and sevens, out of joint
    related: bedraggled, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, blackened, cruddy, dingy, dirty, draggled, filthy, foul, grimy, grotty (chiefly British), grubby, grungy, mucky, nasty, smudged, soiled, spotted, squalid, stained, sullied, unclean, uncleanly, dowdy, frowsy, shaggy, slatternly, sloven, slovenly, uncombed, wrinkled, adulterated, contaminated, defiled, polluted, tainted, knotted, snarled, tangled, seedy, shabby, sleazy, sordid, neglected, neglectful, negligent
    opposite: bandbox, crisp, kempt, neat, neatened, ordered, orderly, organized, shipshape, snug, tidied, tidy, trim, uncluttered, well-ordered
    near: antiseptic, clean, cleaned, cleanly, hygienic, immaculate, sparkling, spick-and-span, spotless, stainless, unsoiled, unsullied, methodical, regular, systematic, systematized, careful, fastidious, finicky, fussy, meticulous, combed, groomed, manicured, well-groomed, taintless, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, wholesome

Pell-mell (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in a confused and reckless manner

    "tossed stuff pell-mell into the dorm room"

    similar: amok, berserk, berserkly, frantically, frenetically, frenziedly, harum-scarum, hectically, helter-skelter, madly, wild, wildly
    related: agitatedly, confusedly, crazily, desperately, feverishly, haywire, skittishly, uncontrollably, heedlessly, hotheadedly, recklessly, wantonly, chaotically, riotously, tumultuously, turbulently, aimlessly, haphazard, haphazardly, hit or miss, topsy-turvy
    near: calmly, collectedly, composedly, coolly, imperturbably, peacefully, placidly, self-composedly, self-possessedly, serenely, unconcernedly, meekly, mildly, passively, tamely, methodically, orderly, systematically

  2. with excessive or careless speed

    "ran pell-mell down the road to get help"

    similar: cursorily, hastily, headlong, hotfoot, hurriedly, precipitately, precipitously, rashly, on the spur of the moment
    related: headfirst, headily, hotheadedly, impatiently, impetuously, impulsively, recklessly, thoughtlessly, automatically, glancingly, haphazardly, impromptu, spontaneously, abruptly, suddenly, offhand, offhandedly
    opposite: deliberately, studiedly
    near: calculatingly, circumspectly, designedly, falteringly, haltingly, hesitantly, hesitatingly, tentatively, leisurely, slowly

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Pell-mell

The most common words with a similar meaning to Pell-mell:

cursory, drive-by, flying, gadarene, hasty, headlong, helter-skelter, hurried, overhasty, precipitate, precipitous, rash, rushed, chaotic, cluttered, confused, disarranged, disarrayed, disheveled, disordered, disorderly, higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled, littered, messed, messy, muddled, mussed, mussy, rumpled, sloppy, topsy-turvy, tousled, tumbled, unkempt, untidy, upside-down, at sixes and sevens, out of joint

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Pell-mell

Words with the opposite meaning of Pell-mell:

deliberate, unhurried, unrushed, bandbox, crisp, kempt, neat, neatened, ordered, orderly, organized, shipshape, snug, tidied, tidy, trim, uncluttered, well-ordered, deliberately, studiedly

Related Words for Pell-mell

breakneck, breathtaking, headstrong, heady, hotheaded, impatient, impetuous, impulsive, madcap, reckless, unadvised, quick, rapid, speedy, swift, horseback, impromptu, makeshift, offhand, offhanded, off-the-cuff, rush, slapdash, snap, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment, abrupt, sudden, bedraggled, befouled

Near Antonyms of Pell-mell

calculated, calculating, measured, circumspect, foresighted, forethoughtful, drawn-out, extended, long-term, prolonged, faltering, hesitant, hesitating, tentative, dallying, dawdling, laggard, leisurely, poky, shilly-shallying, slow, antiseptic, clean, cleaned, cleanly, hygienic, immaculate, sparkling, spick-and-span, spotless

Word Forms of Pell-mell

Derived words: pell-mell (adjective or noun)

Origin & Etymology of Pell-mell

Middle French pelemele

First known use: 1590

Frequently Asked Questions about Pell-mell

What does "Pell-mell" mean?

"Pell-mell" means in mingled confusion or disorder. As an an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: in mingled confusion or disorder. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Pell-mell"?

Other words for "Pell-mell" include cursory, drive-by, flying, gadarene, hasty, headlong, helter-skelter and hurried. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Pell-mell" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Pell-mell"?

There are 168 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Pell-mell". Common alternatives include cursory, drive-by, flying, gadarene, hasty, headlong, helter-skelter, hurried, overhasty and precipitate.

What is the opposite of "Pell-mell"?

Antonyms of "Pell-mell" include deliberate, unhurried, unrushed, bandbox, crisp, kempt, neat and neatened. Near antonyms include calculated, calculating, measured and circumspect.

How do you use "Pell-mell" in a sentence?

Examples of "Pell-mell" in a sentence: "when the theater doors opened, there was a pell-mell rush for the best seats"; "pell-mell piles of books everywhere in the professor's library"; "tossed stuff pell-mell into the dorm room".

Is "Pell-mell" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Pell-mell" can be used as an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Pell-mell"?

"Pell-mell" is pronounced /ˌpel-ˈmel/.

What is the origin of the word "Pell-mell"?

"Pell-mell" comes from Middle French pelemele. First known use: 1590.