pell-mell 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of pell-mellnext
1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed when the theater doors opened, there was a pell-mell rush for the best seats

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness pell-mell piles of books everywhere in the professor's library

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pell-mell

2 of 2

adverb

ˌpel-ˈmel How to pronounce pell-mell (audio)
1
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner tossed stuff pell-mell into the dorm room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed ran pell-mell down the road to get help

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pell-mell
Adverb
The sight of Musk swinging a chainsaw onstage at a conservative conference captured the pell-mell approach, not to mention the brutality, of the billionaire’s plan to bring the federal government to heel. — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025 People ran pell-mell outside, sped away in cars with no clear destination, went to church, or just phoned the police or radio station to hyperventilate. — Nicolas Rapold, airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024 Abe and Mary are part Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, part George and Martha, part the old vaudevillians George Burns and Gracie Allen, all running together pell-mell toward the Copacabana. — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024 Only a few of them stopped with remainder racing pell-mell through the intersection as approaching cars on Charles braked abruptly. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pell-mell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pell-mell
  1. hurried
  2. messy
  3. frantically
  4. hastily
  5. rushed
  6. chaotic
  7. wildly
  8. hurriedly
Adjective
  • Homemade enchiladas might sound like a laborious weekend project, but with a few clever tricks, this version made with black beans and pumpkin can be whipped up on even the most hurried of work nights.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Dooley emphasized the preliminary nature of the ruling and the hurried nature of the litigation preceding it in a short, 12-page decision.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurried
Adjective
  • Impact Backers say Measure E would clean up those messy governmental issues.
    — Times staff, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • They are retained here as if to underscore the messy peculiarity of the world left behind.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of messy
Adverb
  • Lawson was then seen frantically messing with the right side of his pants and holding a dark object in his right hand, police said.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As all of this was playing out, hardcore Dylan fans were frantically trying to figure out who was playing guitar on the far side of the stage.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adverb
  • In junkspace, Koolhaas argues, formal strategies associated with modern art and design—abstraction, functionalism, fragmentation, radical juxtaposition—are hastily and unceremoniously redeployed in the ordinary language of commerce.
    — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Rather than a months-long leadership transition, Chapek had been hastily handed the reins within weeks of Iger’s decision to step down.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of hastily
Adjective
  • Critics, including Commissioners Christine King and Damian Pardo, call it a rushed effort that could be paid for with existing tax dollars without asking voters for more.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The teen’s family has said this was a rushed judgment that did not involve a thorough enough investigation.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Definition of rushed
Adjective
  • In order to avoid large crowds and a chaotic shopping experience, customers might want to stay away from Costco on certain afternoons.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Engineered with bold resonant audio and booming bass, an IP67 waterproof and dustproof exterior, up to 20 hours of battery life, and convenient USB-C charge-out support, it is built for every chaotic adventure.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adverb
  • The degree of intervention varies wildly, as does the level of architectural ambition.
    — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • For some reason, this made the husband wildly, irrationally angry.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of wildly
Adverb
  • Her husband hurriedly shut the door and begged her to see a doctor for a tranquilizer prescription.
    — Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Antonelli hurriedly informed his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, who had been regularly reminding the Italian to adhere to track limits throughout the race and to look after his car.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of hurriedly

Browse Nearby Words

pellets
pell-mell
pellucid
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Cite this Entry

“Pell-mell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pell-mell. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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