medley

1 of 2

noun

med·​ley ˈmed-lē 

plural medleys

1

: a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short pieces

a medley of show tunes

2

: a diverse assortment or mixture

especially : hodgepodge

a medley of sounds

a medley of desserts

was arrested on a medley of charges

3

archaic : melee

medley

2 of 2

adjective

: mixed, motley

Synonyms

Noun

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of medley in a Sentence

Noun

a medley of show tunes

a medley of snack foods available on the buffet table

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That signature growl rivaled the tone of Louis’ trumpet, marrying blues, jazz, soul, and rock into a modern medley that was entirely her own. —Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 18 May 2024

The brand calls this fragrance a bottle of happiness, with its citrus-floral medley of bergamot, mandarin, rose, orange blossom, cedarwood, and musk. —Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English medle, from Anglo-French medlee, from feminine of medlé, past participle of medler to mix — more at meddle

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing medley

• chance-medley
• individual medley
• medley relay

Kids Definition

medley

noun

med·​ley

ˈmed-lē

plural medleys

1

: mixture sense 2

especially : a confused mixture

2

: a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short musical pieces