pell-mell

Examples

• All

• The domestic reforms, conducted pell-mell, did not revitalize the Soviet system but merely brought to the surface its hypocrisies and weaknesses.

  Academic text (1992)

• Phillip closes the door, looks around, and then runs pell-mell to the passenger window of the Impala.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Then, in a flash, he runs, pell-mell, out of the house.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Indeed, it is likely he left Russia pell-mell.

  Fiction book (2002)

• The truck lands hard and continues pell-mell through the field.

  Fiction book (1993)

• The two of them started toward the wagon, running pell-mell.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Everybody on board, hundreds of sailors, now run, racing pell-mell to their battle stations.

  Fiction book (1997)

• And then the performance quietly died, and we, too, rushed pell-mell toward shelter.

  Fiction book (1993)

• "I doubt it!" cried Caruso as he broke away from the Bishop and raced pell-mell for the harbor.

  Fiction book (2000)

• The nanobots, programmed to seek out dirt, were rushing pell-mell towards the single dirtiest object in the apartment: Schrödinger's cat.

  Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

H

helter-skelter

vspell-mell

1 7.3

In a confused, messy way with no order

emphasizes disorder that can be hurried or uncontrolled

S

skelter

vspell-mell

• Archaic

9.9

In a hurried, confused way

is about disorder that may not be fast

I

in a skelter

vspell-mell

• UK

9.9

In a confused, hurried way with no order

focuses on disorderly action rather than an ongoing chaotic state

S

shambolically

vspell-mell

• UK

8.4

In a messy, disorganized way

adds a sense of hurry or loss of control beyond mere disorder

H

harum-scarum

vspell-mell

• Archaic

9.9

In a wild and careless way

focuses on recklessness rather than plain confusion or disorder

Antonyms

C

calmly

110 1.0

In a calm, steady way without showing anger or nervousness

O

orderly

55 2.4

Arranged in a tidy, organized way

How Orderly

systematically

75 3.9

haphazardly

9 6.1

pell-mell

• Informal

2 9.0

chaotically

1 5.6

Surface Forms

Etymology