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- For other meanings of the term, see melée (disambiguation).
Melée generally means hand-to-hand combat or mano-a-mano. Weapons commonly used in melée include swords, clubs, spears, axes, or fists: almost anything you can hit someone with. The word melée is specific to disorganized hand-to-hand battles, which may even be free-for-all occasions, as in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
By extension, melée can also refer to a naval or armor battle at abnormally close range, and even to disorganized crowds of people and vehicles, such as mobs, mosh pits, and traffic jams.
Usage of this word has increased in certain segments of the population due to its presence in role-playing games and computer games, such as those in the first person shooter genre. "Melée" originally refers to confused, free-for-all combat among a group of fighters, as in a medieval tournament, as opposed to single combat. The term has been adopted and popularized by gamers to encompass all hand-to-hand fighting. For instance, gamers will refer to "melée attacks" as opposed to "ranged attacks."
In such games, a melée attack will only hit its target when at extremely close range. It uses no ammunition, and to create game balance, these attacks may be faster or more powerful. Due to the difficulty of approaching and attacking an opponent at extremely close range when ranged attacks are available to players or enemies, a successful melée attack is often considered elegant or skillful, and the game may reward players who manage to successfully utilize such attacks.
Other game genres this term is used in are role-playing, action, and tactical games in which it is considered as any non-magic attack that can only be used at close range.