pandemonium
nounUK /ˌpæn.dɪˈməʊ.ni.əm/ · US /ˌpæn.dəˈmoʊ.ni.əm/
Etymology Coined by John Milton in Paradise Lost as Pandæmonium, from Ancient Greek πᾶν (pân, “all”) (equivalent to pan-) + Late Latin daemonium (“evil spirit, demon”), from Ancient Greek δαιμόνιον (daimónion, “deity”).
1
A loud, wild, tumultuous protest, disorder, or chaotic situation, usually of a crowd, often violent.
- Whatever all this pandemonium means, I suppose the police station will help us.1908, G[ilbert] K[eith] Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, Bristol: J[ames] W[illiams] Arrowsmith, […]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Company, →OCLC, page 259:
- I shall go round to the office and complain. I'll tell you what it is, Mr. Belting: these mansions are becoming a pandemonium, sir, a veritable pandemonium.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
1 more example
- Whenever you have violent pandemonium, there's the overwhelming possibility for panic and tragedy.2004 October 22, The Boston Globe:
2
An outburst; loud, riotous uproar, especially of a crowd.
- Riyad Mahrez flighted the free-kick that followed to the far post and Morgan, with not much finesse but plenty of desire, bundled the ball over the line. Cue pandemonium in the stands.2017 March 14, Stuart James, “Leicester stun Sevilla to reach last eight after Kasper Schmeichel save”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2023:
3
Collective A group of parrots
- Derived terms
- fandemonium, pandamonium, pandemoniac, pandemoniacal, pandemonian, pandemonic, pandemonious, pandemonium architecture, pandemonium effect
- Related terms
- all hell breaks loose, Pandæmonium