mayhem
noun
may·hem
| \ ËmÄ-Ëhem
, ËmÄ-Ém
\
, ËmÄ-Ém
\
Definition of mayhem
1a
: willful and permanent deprivation of a bodily member resulting in the impairment of a person's fighting ability
b
: willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of the body
2
: needless or willful damage or violence
movies filled with murder and mayhem
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Examples of mayhem in a Sentence
movies filled with murder and mayhem
a criminal who escaped from prison and caused mayhem
Recent Examples on the Web
Tate, Manson and the familyâs stories ultimately do sync up with Rick and Cliffâs, and fiery mayhem ensues in a third act that fully embraces being a Tarantino film. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is a fairy tale only Quentin Tarantino could tell," 23 July 2019 Outlined in previs, the calculated mayhem was a dance among stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam, special effects supervisor Sam Conway and visual effects. — Daron James, Los Angeles Times, "How visual effects created the fiery chaos in âGame of Thronesâ," 8 Aug. 2019 If auto mayhem isnât your speed, set your sights on the Arlington County fair (Aug. 14-18), a more charming affair that draws massive crowds every year. — Washington Post, "17 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend," 8 Aug. 2019 And then thereâs murder, and mayhem, and all sorts of crazy fun that happens. — Clark Collis, EW.com, "Stan Lee calls Jason Mewes a knucklehead in trailer for Madness in the Method," 12 July 2019 Surprisingly, a few lawmakers from the pro-Beijing camp said the government ought to accept some blame for the mayhem. — Javier C. HernĂĄndez, BostonGlobe.com, "China calls Hong Kong protesters who stormed legislature âextreme radicalsâ," 2 July 2019 Law-enforcement officials have said nearly 100 credible witnesses described the unauthorized flights at Gatwick, but at this point nobody has been charged for the mayhem during the pre-Christmas rush. — Robert Wall, WSJ, "Counterdrone Technologies Face Slow Ramp-Up at Airports Globally," 2 Jan. 2019 Margarita mayhem is about to take over the city as Cinco de Mayo unfolds this Saturday. — Grace Dickinson, Philly.com, "Where to eat and drink on this Cinco de Mayo in Philadelphia," 2 May 2018 The villain behind all this mayhem is Thanos (Josh Brolin), a genocidal megalomaniac who likes to visit different planets and wipe out half the native population. — Justin Chang, latimes.com, "'Avengers: Infinity War': a rousing Marvel mash-up, or a truly epic tease?," 24 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mayhem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for mayhem
mayhem
noun
English Language Learners Definition of mayhem
: actions that hurt people and destroy things : a scene or situation that involves a lot of violence
See the full definition for mayhem in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mayhem
noun
may·hem
| \ ËmÄ-Ëhem
, ËmÄ-Ém
\
, ËmÄ-Ém
\
Medical Definition of mayhem
: willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfiguring of any part of another's body
also
: the crime of engaging in mayhem
physicians, accusedâŠof sterilizing her through trickery, were ordered held for trial on charges of conspiracy to commit mayhem — Associated Press
mayhem
noun
may·hem
| \ ËmÄ-Ëhem, -Ém
\
\
Legal Definition of mayhem
: willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of another's body
also
: the crime of engaging in mayhem
Note: Under the Model Penal Code and the codes of the states that follow it, mayhem is encompassed by assault and aggravated assault.