Meaning & use
medley
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Meanings
nouncountable
A varied collection of different things that are put together, especially flavors, sounds or people.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: a medley of flavors.
Patterns
- a medley of something
The salad was a medley of roasted beets, apple slices and toasted walnuts.
A medley of smells drifted out of the market stalls.
Her speech was a medley of jokes, memories and thank-yous.
nouncountablemusic
A piece of music made by joining parts of several different songs or tunes into one continuous performance.
Grammar: Often takes a modifier saying where the tunes come from: a medley of folk songs.
Patterns
- a medley of songs
- play a medley
The school band closed the concert with a medley of film themes.
He sang a medley of old Beatles hits at the party.
The pianist improvised a medley from the audience's requests.
nouncountablesport
A swimming or running race in which each section is done in a different style or over a different distance.
Grammar: Often a compound: individual medley, medley relay.
Patterns
- the 200-meter medley
- a medley relay
She won gold in the 200-meter individual medley.
Our team swam the medley relay in under four minutes.
The coach picked him for the medley because he is strong at every stroke.
Word forms
| plural | medleys |
|---|
Common combinations
- a medley of flavors
- The stew offered a medley of flavors, from smoky paprika to sweet carrot.
- a medley of songs
- The choir performed a medley of songs from the 1960s.
- a medley of colors
- The autumn hillside was a medley of reds, golds and browns.
- individual medley
- He trains for the individual medley four mornings a week.
- medley relay
- Each swimmer takes one stroke in the medley relay.
- play a medley
- The street band played a medley as the parade passed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mixture
- Mixture is a general word for anything combined, whereas medley suggests lively, distinct elements that remain noticeable side by side.
- assortment
- Assortment stresses a range of different items to choose from, while medley suggests the items blend into one experience.
- hodgepodge
- Hodgepodge is informal and implies a messy, careless jumble, but medley is neutral or even pleasant.
- potpourri
- Potpourri is a more refined word for a miscellaneous collection, and it also names a scented dried-flower mix, which medley never does.
Opposites
Word family
- medleys noun
- the plural form
Commonly confused: medley or meddle?
medley vs meddle
Meddle is a verb meaning to interfere in something that is not your business; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with mixtures.
Practice
Which sentence uses medley in its musical sense?
Choose one answer.
A medley of hits is several songs joined together. The other options misuse medley as a medicine, a verb and a hill.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “medley”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.