medley

1 of 2

noun

med·​ley ˈmed-lē 

plural medleys

1

: a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short pieces

a medley of show tunes

2

: a diverse assortment or mixture

especially : hodgepodge

a medley of sounds

a medley of desserts

was arrested on a medley of charges

3

archaic : melee

medley

2 of 2

adjective

: mixed, motley

Synonyms

Noun

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

Examples of medley in a Sentence

Noun

a medley of show tunes

a medley of snack foods available on the buffet table

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The restaurant’s veggie penne pasta ($17) comes with a medley of vegetables with a roasted tomato-coconut sauce. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025

Carrie Underwood is set to perform just before the ball drops, ringing in the new year with a medley of her greatest hits. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2024

Adjective

After the clock strikes midnight, the Jonas Brothers will take the Times Square stage with a medley performance to commemorate their 20th anniversary as a group. —Gabriella Rudy, NBC News, 31 Dec. 2024

As a result, most songs only got the medley treatment. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English medle, from Anglo-French medlee, from feminine of medlé, past participle of medler to mix — more at meddle

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing medley

• chance-medley
• individual medley
• medley relay

Kids Definition

medley

noun

med·​ley

ˈmed-lē

plural medleys

1

: mixture sense 2

especially : a confused mixture

2

: a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short musical pieces