medley
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a collection or mixture of different things that are not usually found together.
a diverse assortment or heterogeneous mixture of miscellaneous elements.
Simple“The shop sold a medley of old toys, books, and handmade clothes.”
In context“The buffet offered a medley of international flavours, ranging from spicy Thai curries to traditional French pastries.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a series of different songs or tunes played one after another as a single piece of music.
a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources performed in sequence.
Simple“The band played a medley of their greatest hits to end the concert.”
In context“The orchestra performed a sophisticated medley of themes from classic Hollywood films, seamlessly transitioning between different moods and tempos.”
Synonymspotpourricompilation - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a race where swimmers use four different styles: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
a competitive swimming event in which participants or teams perform four distinct strokes in a specific order.
Simple“She won a gold medal in the 200-metre individual medley.”
In context“The relay team broke the national record for the 400-metre medley, showing incredible versatility across all four swimming disciplines.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
a fight or battle between people.
a hand-to-hand fight, combat, or confused battle.
Simple“The knights were lost in the medley of the great battle.”
In context“The historical chronicle describes a chaotic medley of soldiers and horses clashing in the narrow mountain pass.”
From Middle English medle, from Anglo-Norman medlee, Old French medlee, from the feminine past participle of early Medieval Latin misculō (“to mix”). Compare meddle. Doublet of melee.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.