pandemonium

UK: ˌpændɪˈməʊniəm | US: ˌpændɪˈmoʊniəm

Definition

  1. n. wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar

  2. n. (literary) a place or scene of chaos or turmoil

Structure
pan <all>demon <evil spirit>ium <place>
Etymology

Coined by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667) as the name for the capital of Hell, blending Greek pan- (all) and daimon (evil spirit). The suffix -ium denotes a place, creating "place of all demons." Over time, it generalized to mean any chaotic or noisy situation, reflecting the imagined tumult of Hell.

Examples

  1. The protest turned into pandemonium when the police arrived.

  2. After the concert, the stadium was in complete pandemonium.

  3. The classroom descended into pandemonium during the substitute teacher’s absence.

  4. The news caused pandemonium in the stock market.

  5. Pandemonium erupted when the team scored the winning goal.