From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmayhemmay‧hem /ˈmeɪhem/ noun [uncountable] CONFUSEDan extremely confused situation in which people are very frightened or excited SYN chaos There was complete mayhem after the explosion.cause/create/wreak mayhem For some children, the first fall of snow is an opportunity to create mayhem.
Examples from the Corpus
mayhem• Just look at these cabins, and you forget traffic jams, mortgages and mayhem back home.• If you're looking for ground-breaking mayhem, you got off at the wrong Greyhound stop.• From these it is clear that the star created mayhem in any recording studio.• Everything had gone from mayhem to a somber, peculiar hush.• He wants to sit next to her while facing a big screen and being transported by big-budget suspense or mayhem.• The new rules are meant to prevent mayhem on school enrollment days.• Meanwhile over the top sings Mel, clearer and truer than before, apparently blissfully unaware of the unholy mayhem beneath her.• Initially, this three-way conflict wreaked mayhem.cause/create/wreak mayhem• Initially, this three-way conflict wreaked mayhem.• On the one hand, they did not want working class hooligans swarming all over the country causing mayhem.• But things are different at night, when he hisses, growls, howls and generally causes mayhem.• The consequent revaluations would cause mayhem, chaos and huge bills for those on the receiving end.Origin mayhem (1400-1500) Anglo-French mahaime “crime of cutting off someone's arm or leg”, from Old French maynier; → MAIM 