Meaning
mess, shambles; slaughterhouse
- a huge mess, chaotic disaster, or total shambles (informal)
- a slaughterhouse or abattoir
- carnage, slaughter, or massacre
In a sentence
Che macello! La cucina è completamente sottosopra.
What a mess! The kitchen is completely upside down.
Ieri alla festa c'era un macello di gente.
Yesterday at the party there was an insane number of people.
Se non organizziamo il lavoro per tempo, faremo un macello.
If we don't organise our work in advance, we'll make a disaster.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| macello | masculine · singular |
| macelli | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Informal: common in everyday speech to mean 'a total mess' ('che macello!').
- Also used colloquially to mean 'a huge amount' ('un macello di gente').