How to say "melee" in Japanese

• 乱闘らんとうCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'melee' as a confused physical fight between people, close to 'brawl' or 'scuffle'. Typical of street fights, barroom scuffles, or players clashing on the field.
  警官けいかん隊たいはデモ隊たいと乱闘らんとうになった。↗

  The police brawled with the demonstrators.
• 混戦こんせんCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbA confused, free-for-all situation where sides or competitors are jumbled together, as in a scramble for the ball or a muddled battle. Emphasizes the tangled state more than the fighting itself.
• 乱軍らんぐんCommon
  nounRefers to disordered troops or the thick of a chaotic battle — the melee of a battlefield. Seldom the word you want for an ordinary brawl or scuffle between people.
• 乱戦らんせんCommon
  nounA confused fight or free-for-all in warfare, also used for a 'dogfight' between aircraft. Best for 'melee' in military or combat contexts rather than civilian brawls.

Use 乱闘 for a real-world brawl or scuffle, 混戦 or 乱戦 for a confused free-for-all in contests or battle, and 乱軍 chiefly for the midst of disordered troops in battle.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 乱闘らんとうconfused fight
• 混戦こんせんconfused fight
• 乱軍らんぐんmelee
• 乱戦らんせんconfused fight