French word

méli-mélo

Pronunciation

IPA/melimelo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmishmash

Example

Il y a un méli-mélo sur le bureau.

There is a mishmash on the desk.

Illustration for méli-mélo (mishmash)

More examples

Après le déménagement, la maison était un méli-mélo de cartons.

After the move, the house was a jumble of boxes.

Core concept

A heap of unlike things so interwoven that its separate parts are hard to pick out.

Common phrases

  • un méli-mélo de papiers

    a jumble of papers

  • un vrai méli-mélo

    a real jumble

Similar words

mélange: A combination of various things or elements mixed together.
bazar: A state in which things are scattered and untidy.
pagaille: A highly chaotic and disorganized state.
désordre: A state in which things, places, or plans lack order.

Definition in French

Indique un ensemble hétérogène où les éléments sont mêlés au point d'être difficiles à distinguer.

Word origin

Méli-mélo is a reduplicative formation based on mêler, 'to mix', with a playful repeated form that became a familiar French noun.

Usage tips

  • Méli-mélo is masculine, so the usual form is un méli-mélo, and its familiar tone suits everyday speech more than formal prose.

Other meanings

  • confusionnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word