bedlam Definition
bed·lam (bed′ləm)
noun
- an old insane asylum (in full, St. Mary of Bethlehem), later a hospital for the mentally ill, in London
- Archaic any insane asylum
- any place or condition of noise and confusion
Etymology: ME Bedlam, Bethlem, var. of Bethlehem
bedlam Synonyms
bedlam
n.
Uproar
confusion, pandemonium, clamor, chaos; see confusion 2, noise 2.A lunatic asylum
madhouse, insane asylum, sanitarium; see hospital.
bedlam Usage Examples
Converse of object
- cause: It was the Korean war where alleged American use of germ weapons caused international bedlam.
- create: A duet of serial killers create bedlam in movie town.
Adjective modifier
- total: It would be total bedlam, and so dangerous, if everyone tried to drive into the school!
- absolute: We tried this at Blackbird Leys a couple of years ago and it was absolute bedlam.
- sheer: Within a few minutes, it was sheer bedlam.
- complete: The photographer arrived in the midst of complete bedlam at my house.
Modifies a noun
cube: The puzzle boxes are easy, compared to the bedlam retro cube which is still puzzling my nieces!
Browse dictionary entries near bedlam
- ‹ bedizen
- ‹ Bedivere
- ‹ bedim
- ‹ bedight
- ‹ Bedfordshire
- ‹ Bedford cord
- ‹ Bedford
- ‹ bedfellow
- ‹ bedfast
- ‹ bedew
- bedlamite ›
- Bedlington terrier ›
- Bedloe's Island ›
- Bedouin ›
- bedpan ›
- bedplate ›
- bedpost ›
- bedraggle ›
- bedraggled ›
- bedrail ›

