bed
lam
Plural
bedlams
1
an outdated and offensive term once used to describe a hospital or institution for people with mental illnesses
- In the 18th century, patients with severe disorders were often confined to a bedlam.
- Historical records describe the harsh conditions inside London's Bedlam Hospital.
- The term "bedlam" was once commonly used to refer to asylums.
- Writers of the Victorian era often portrayed bedlams as dark and cruel places.
- The hospital became infamous as the most notorious bedlam of its time.
2
a noisy and disorderly situation where there is extreme confusion and lack of control
- The shopping mall was pure bedlam during the holiday sales.
- Chaos turned the stadium into bedlam after the final whistle.
- Traffic became bedlam when the lights stopped working.
- The classroom descended into bedlam after the teacher left.
- The courtroom erupted into bedlam after the verdict was announced.