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

sports : a race in swimming in which swimmers use a different stroke for each different part of the race

won the individual medley

4

archaic : melee

medley

2 of 2

adjective

: mixed, motley

Synonyms of medley

Noun

• variety
• assortment
• jumble
• collage
• mélange

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

North Allegheny's high school swim team set a new PIAA record Wednesday for the 200-yard relay medley at the 2026 PIAA 3A State Championships at Bucknell University. —Mike Darnay, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026

Hosting the AMAs for the first time in 10 years, Lopez opened the show with a medley of 23 of the year’s biggest hits. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Those nominated for Best New Artist—Addison Rae, KATSEYE, Alex Warren, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, and sombr—will perform in a medley segment. —Pitchfork, 1 Feb. 2026

Stevie Wonder led the show’s hot and funky opening number — a medley tribute to the late Sly Stone capped by a reliably powerhouse vocal performance from Jennifer Hudson. —Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 9 Nov. 2025

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 4

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing medley

• chance-medley
• individual medley
• medley relay

Rhymes for medley

• deadly

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