helter-skelter

1 of 3

adverb

hel·​ter-skel·​ter ˌhel-tər-ˈskel-tər 

1

: in undue haste, confusion, or disorder

ran helter-skelter, getting in each other's way

—F. V. W. Mason

2

: in a haphazard manner

helter-skelter

2 of 3

noun

1

: a disorderly confusion : turmoil

2

British : a spiral slide around a tower at an amusement park

helter-skelter

3 of 3

adjective

1

: confusedly hurried : precipitate

2

: marked by a lack of order or plan : haphazard

the helter-skelter arrangement of the papers, all mussed and frayed

—Jean Stafford

Synonyms

Adverb

• amok
• amuck
• berserk
• berserkly
• frantically
• frenetically
• frenziedly
• harum-scarum
• hectically
• madly
• pell-mell
• wild
• wildly

Noun

• ado
• alarums and excursions
• ballyhoo
• blather
• bluster
• bobbery
• bother
• bustle
• clatter
• clutter [chiefly dialect]
• coil
• commotion
• corroboree [Australian]
• disturbance
• do [chiefly dialect]
• foofaraw
• fun
• furor
• furore
• fuss
• hoo-ha
• hoo-hah
• hoopla
• hubble-bubble
• hubbub
• hullabaloo
• hurly
• hurly-burly
• hurricane
• hurry
• hurry-scurry
• hurry-skurry
• kerfuffle [chiefly British]
• moil
• pandemonium
• pother
• row
• ruckus
• ruction
• rumpus
• shindy
• splore [Scottish]
• squall
• stew
• stir
• storm
• to-do
• tumult
• turmoil
• uproar
• welter
• whirl
• williwaw
• zoo

Adjective

• cursory
• drive-by
• flying
• gadarene
• hasty
• headlong
• hurried
• overhasty
• pell-mell
• precipitate
• precipitous
• rash
• rushed

Examples of helter-skelter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

In the contemporary, helter-skelter sweep of Mexico City, there is one place — in the southern borough of Xochimilco — where a vision of a watery, pre-Columbian capital may still be imagined. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024

The helter-skelter start has the Warriors (27-26) emerging from the All-Star break in 10th place in the West at .500. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024

Or, a helter-skelter museum dedicated to beer and Bigfoot. —The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024

That helter-skelter transition threw much of the economics of entertainment out of whack. —Jake Coyle, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2023

At the site of the festival, where, on Oct. 7, transporting electronic dance music gave way to the crack of Hamas rifle fire, cars are still scattered helter-skelter, some smashed, some incinerated by missiles, some virtually untouched, with keys and sunglasses resting on the driver’s seat. —Roger Cohen Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2023

The staging marked one milestone in Spain’s helter-skelter passage to modernity. —Callum McLennan, Variety, 2 Oct. 2023

The roll-out for Doja Cat’s forthcoming album has been helter-skelter, leaving fans and the media confused and unsure of whether to take her erratic posts on social media seriously. —Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023

The lack of composure in the final helter-skelter seconds was uncharacteristic. —Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 May 2023

Adjective

The opening quarter-hour produced a fast but helter-skelter showing. —The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023

After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized. —Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

perhaps from Middle English skelten to come, go

First Known Use

Adverb

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

helter-skelter

adverb

hel·​ter-skel·​ter

ˌhel-tər-ˈskel-tər

1

: in a confused and reckless manner : pell-mell

ran helter-skelter down the hill

2

: in no particular order : haphazardly

clothes strewn helter-skelter about the room

helter-skelter adjective