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

With the final Pussycat Dolls medley, Scherzinger — hoofing it up in black lace and heels, somehow looking about a foot taller than her 5’5″ frame — was all about the life of a showgirl. —Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025

To open the big anniversary show, McEntire performed a decade-spanning medley, saluting one Song of the Year winner from each of the past six decades. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025

Adjective

The Black Sabbath frontman was a five-time Grammy winner and a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, according to the VMAs, which announced the medley performance on Friday. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2025

Yungblud and Aerosmith to Tribute Ozzy The medley performance will include Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Yungblud, and Nuno Bettencourt, all of whom shared a connection with Osbourne in the final stretch of his life. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 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