helter-skelter.

1. In a hurried and disorderly way.

2. A tall fairground slide winding in a spiral around a central tower.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• run helter-skelter
• scatter helter-skelter

On the page

Papers flew helter-skelter across the floor when the window burst open.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Invariable adverb; related adjective normally non-gradable. Fairground noun singular helter-skelter; plural helter-skelters.. Noun singular helter-skelter; plural helter-skelters. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character. Commonness: moderately common.