noun

melee

MEH-lay

noun

A confused, chaotic fight or struggle involving a group of people at close quarters.

"The peaceful protest turned into a melee outside the stadium."

adjective

Describing close-range combat or a weapon used for it, as opposed to ranged attacks.

"The character prefers melee weapons like swords over guns."

How to Use Melee

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA chaotic close-quarters brawl, or (in games) fighting hand-to-hand rather than at a distance.

Common pairings

melee combat melee weapon general melee

meleed past tense, melees plural, melees singular

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The peaceful protest turned into a _____ outside the stadium.

Borrowed from French mêlée, from Old French mesler ("to mix") — related to Latin misceo, "to mix," making it a doublet of "medley."

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