French word

pêle-mêle

Pronunciation

IPA/pɛlmɛl/

Meaning

  • adverbin a jumble

Example

Il a laissé ses papiers pêle-mêle sur la table.

He left his papers in a jumble on the table.

Illustration for pêle-mêle (in a jumble)

More examples

Il a mis les vêtements pêle-mêle dans la valise.

He put the clothes haphazardly into the suitcase.

Core concept

A heap where papers, objects, or ideas lie mixed together with no clear order.

Common phrases

  • laisser pêle-mêle

    leave ___ haphazardly

  • mettre pêle-mêle

    put ___ haphazardly

  • mélanger pêle-mêle

    mix ___ indiscriminately

Similar words

en désordre: In a state of disorder and disarray.
en vrac: Grouped together without sorting, sequence, or separation.
n'importe comment: In a haphazard and careless manner.
en pagaille: Scattered widely and left in considerable disorder.

Definition in French

En désordre, de façon mêlée et sans ordre précis.

Word origin

Pêle-mêle comes from Old French pesle mesle, a rhyming expression whose second element is related to mêler, meaning to mix.

Usage tips

  • Pêle-mêle is an invariable adverb and is normally written with its hyphen and accents intact.

Other meanings

  • randomlyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word