potpourri

noun

pot·​pour·​ri ˌpō-pu̇-ˈrē 

1

: a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices that is usually kept in a jar and used for scent

2

: a miscellaneous collection : medley

a potpourri of the best songs and sketches

—Current Biography

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of potpourri in a Sentence

The festival was a musical potpourri—performances included folk, jazz, blues, and rap music.

a potpourri of hit songs from the last 10 years

Recent Examples on the Web

Southern Grist is offering a potpourri of sales and a special release. —Adam Tamburin, Axios, 27 Nov. 2024

Vulture previously confirmed that Dylan’s potpourri of tweets — now seven and counting — are indeed authentic and written by him. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

By pooling their data, researchers end up with a potpourri that obscures population-specific health needs or health risks. —Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

The result is the ineffable potpourri of flavors known as Dr Pepper. —Whizy Kim, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

Etymology

French pot pourri, literally, rotten pot

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

potpourri

noun

pot·​pour·​ri ˌpō-pu̇-ˈrē 

1

: a jar of flower petals and spices used for scent

2

: a miscellaneous collection : medley