pandemonium
/ˌpæn.dɪˈməʊ.ni.əm/
pandemonium means A loud, wild, tumultuous protest, disorder, or chaotic situation, usually of a crowd, often violent. It carries an Arena rating of 1679, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pandemonium ranks #1,386 of 25,264 for Qualifying, #1,671 of 14,322 for Scariest Words, #2,338 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words, #2,374 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words.
pandemonium is pronounced /ˌpæn.dɪˈməʊ.ni.əm/.
Why “pandemonium” is a great word
A state of wild and noisy confusion or uproar. Coined by John Milton in 1667 in Paradise Lost as Pandæmonium, from the Ancient Greek πᾶν (pân, "all") + the Late Latin daemonium ("evil spirit, demon"). Unlike "tumult," which suggests a general, violent commotion, or "fracas," a short-lived, personal quarrel, pandemonium implies a profound, structural chaos born of collective demonic will. It is the deafening roar of a thousand contradictory voices in a city square, the sudden, anarchic surge of a stampeding crowd, and the moment a thousand beehives crack open at once—the sound of order not merely broken, but systematically and gleefully unmade.
Etymology
Coined by John Milton in Paradise Lost as Pandæmonium, from Ancient Greek πᾶν (pân, “all”) (equivalent to pan-) + Late Latin daemonium (“evil spirit, demon”), from Ancient Greek δαιμόνιον (daimónion, “deity”).
noun
- A loud, wild, tumultuous protest, disorder, or chaotic situation, usually of a crowd, often violent.“Whatever all this pandemonium means, I suppose the police station will help us.”
- An outburst; loud, riotous uproar, especially of a crowd.“Riyad Mahrez flighted the free-kick that followed to the far post and Morgan, with not much finesse but plenty of desire, bundled the ball over the line. Cue pandemonium in the stands.”
- A group of parrots
Words closest in meaning
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