Synonyms of mayhem
102 similar words
Another word for mayhem is bedlam. Other synonyms of mayhem are car crash, chaos, confusion, disarray and disorder.
Synonyms and similar words for mayhem
nounOften preceded by to cause or make: great confusion, destruction, disorder, or trouble; chaos...
- bedlam
- car crash figuratively
- chaos
- confusion
- disarray
- disorder
- disorganization
- dog's breakfast
- dog's dinner British, slangA complete mess.
- free-for-all
- fuddle
- hash
- hot mess US, slang
- imbroglioA complicated situation; an entanglement.
- mash
- maze figuratively
- mess
- misorder
- mommick US, dialectalA mess, a disorderly state or thing.
- muddle
- mullock British, dialectal
- muss
- shambles
- shemozzle
- snarl figuratively
- tangle figuratively
- topsy-turvinessThe condition or state of being topsy-turvy; disorderly or muddled.
- adoTrouble; troublesome business; fuss, commotion.
- argy-bargy UKA noisy disagreement, often with some fighting.
- bangarang
- brouhahaA stir; a fuss or uproar.
- bunfight
- bustle
- bust-upAn angry argument.
- ferment
- clamourUK and Canada standard spelling of clamor.
- clatter
- commotion
- disruption
- disturbance
- flapA controversy, scandal, stir, or upset.
- flutter
- foofarawFuss over something of little importance.
- fracasA noisy disorderly quarrel, fight, brawl, disturbance or scrap.
- furor
- fussExcessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something.
- hoo-haA fuss, an uproar, a commotion or stir; hype; brouhaha, hullabaloo.
- hoo-hah
- hubbubNoisy confusion; commotion, uproar; (countable) an instance of this; an ado, a commotion.
- hullabalooA clamour, a commotion; a fuss or uproar.
- hurly-burlyTo make an uproar or commotion.
- kerfuffleA disorderly outburst, disturbance, commotion, or tumult.
- merry hell
- outcry
- palaverMentally draining activity, either physical or fuss.
- pandemonium
- potherA commotion, a tempest.
- quarrel
- riot
- ruckus
- rumpus
- shindy slang
- splatterdash
- stir
- stooshie ScotlandThe disruption caused by a disagreement or misunderstanding.
- three-ring circus
- to-doA fuss made over something.
- tomfoolery
- troubleViolent or turbulent occurrence or event; unrest, disturbance.
- tumult
- turmoil
- unrest
- uproar
- upstirCommotion; disturbance, tumult.
- upfuckery rare, vulgarThe condition of being fucked up; a severe mess or problem; chaos.
- bobbery datedA squabble; a tumult; a noisy disturbance.
- hobbleshaw obsoleteUproar, commotion.
- rowdydow archaicHubbub; uproar.
verbTo violently inflict injury on (someone); to injure, to wound.
- abuseTo injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.
- bewoundTo wound all over; cover or afflict with wounds.
- damageTo impair the soundness, goodness, or value of; to harm or cause destruction.
- do damage to
- do for UKTo doom; to bring about the demise of someone; to injure or harm someone.
- do illTo harm, to injure.
- do violence toTo gravely harm.
- harmTo damage, hurt, or injure something, usually an inanimate object.
- harrowTo break or tear, as if with a harrow; to wound; to lacerate.
- hurtTo cause (a person or animal) physical pain and/or injury.
- injureTo wound or cause physical harm to a living creature.
- maulTo savage; to cause serious physical wounds.
- put someone in hospital UKTo injure (someone) to the point that they need serious medical attention.
- scaith ScotlandTo injure; to wound.
- scatheTo harm or injure (someone or something) physically.
- wet slangTo kill or seriously injure.
- woundTo hurt or injure (someone) by cutting, piercing, or tearing the skin.
- annoy archaicTo molest; to harm; to injure.
- damnify obsoleteTo damage physically; to injure.
- dere UK, archaicTo hurt; harm; injure; wound.
- forwork archaicTo do wrong to; injure; scathe.
- grieve archaicTo harm.
- misdo archaicTo do harm to; to injure, mistreat.
- vulnerate archaicTo wound, cause to become vulnerable.
Meaning of mayhem
- noun The criminal offence of maiming (“seriously wounding”) a person such that their ability to defend or protect themselves is weakened or completely removed; (countable) an instance of this.
- noun The criminal offence of maiming a person by depriving them of the use of any of their limbs.
- noun Often preceded by to cause or make: great confusion, destruction, disorder, or trouble; chaos, turmoil; (countable) an instance of this.
mayhem in other languages
Questions about synonyms of mayhem
- What is another word for mayhem?
- Mayhem has 102 synonyms on Word.ws, such as bedlam, car crash, chaos, confusion, disarray, disorder, disorganization and dog's breakfast.
- What does mayhem mean?
- Mayhem means the criminal offence of maiming (“seriously wounding”) a person such that their ability to defend or protect themselves is weakened or completely removed; (countable) an instance of this.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: mayhem (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of mayhem.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/mayhem. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.