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Definitions

helter-skelter

[hel-ter-skel-ter] / ˈhɛl tərˈskɛl tər /
ADJECTIVE
with undue hurry and confusion
Synonyms
STRONGEST
chaotic haphazard hurried
WEAK
arbitrary carelessly confused disorderly hastily hit or miss hurry-scurry in disorder random recklessly slapdash
Antonyms
STRONGEST
organized systematic
ADVERB
carelessly, confused
Synonyms
STRONGEST
haphazard headlong jumbled
WEAK
about any which way anyhow anywise around at random cluttered disorderly hastily higgledy-piggledy hit-or-miss hotfoot hurriedly impetuously in confusion incautiously incontinently irregular muddled pell-mell random randomly rashly recklessly topsy-turvy tumultuously unmindfully wildly
Antonyms
WEAK
carefully methodical organized straight systematic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Challambra Hill climb before the final helter-skelter dash to the finish.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

If England's crushing defeat in the first Test was a white-knuckle helter-skelter, this opening day in Brisbane was a titanic struggle and not for the faint-hearted.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

It was a little more of a helter-skelter approach, but we somehow got through it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2025

That helter-skelter transition threw much of the economics of entertainment out of whack.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2023

While the roosters shrieked, the hens scrambled helter-skelter, commenting shrilly on the action: they clucked hysterically; they cackled obscenely; sometimes their alarmed voices were like machine guns.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.