pandamonium

See also: Pandämonium and pandämonium

English

WOTD – 19 March 2026

Baby pandas causing pandamonium in Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.

Etymology

Etymology tree

Tibetan ཕོ་ཉ (pho nya)der.?

French pandabor.

English panda

Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-énts

Proto-Indo-European *ph₂énts?

Proto-Hellenic *pánts

Ancient Greek πᾶς (pâs)der.

Ancient Greek πᾰν- (păn-)bor.

English pan-

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-y(eti)

Proto-Indo-European *-y(éti)

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y-der.

Ancient Greek δαίομαι (daíomai)

Proto-Indo-European *-mṓ

Ancient Greek -μων (-mōn)

Ancient Greek δαίμων (daímōn)

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)

Ancient Greek δαιμόνῐος (daimónĭos)

Ancient Greek δαιμόνῐον (daimónĭon)bor.

Latin daemonium

English pandemonium

blend

English pandamonium

Blend of panda +‎ pandemonium.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌpæn.dəˈməʊ.ni.əm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌpæn.dəˈmoʊ.ni.əm/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Homophone: (GA) pandemonium
• Rhymes: -əʊniəm
• Hyphenation: pan‧da‧mon‧i‧um

Noun

pandamonium (uncountable)

1. (humorous) Furore caused by or involving giant pandas.
   • 1972 April 21, “Pandas settled in National Zoo”, in Lodi News-Sentinel, number 10,369, Lodi, Calif.: Central Valley News-Sentinel, →OCLC, page 8, column 6:

     […] Hsing Hsing and Ling Ling, the giant pandas given to the American people by Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, were introduced to the public Thursday. First Lady Pat Nixon, who received them on behalf of all Americans, said "Thank you so much for this gift of pandas for children of all ages, including me. I'm sure pandamonium will break out."

   • 1987 November 4, Douglas Martin, “About New York; Year of the panda is lengthened by a few days”, in The New York Times (B section)‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 January 2025, page 1, column 1:

     But Sunday was the last day of the pandas' six-month visit and the "pandamonium" was supposed to be over. Over the weekend, people crowded in for one last look.

   • 1988 August 16, Scott R. Robinson, “Chinese cooking is an art”, in The Bryan Times, volume 40, number 193, Bryan, Oh.: AIM Media Midwest, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 7, column 1:

     Ever since it was known that the Toledo Zoo would be exhibiting a pair of the endangered giant pandas, a state of "pandamonium" has existed in this part of Ohio.

   • 2005, B. J. Lucian, “Part I: Prof Josh”, in Professor Baker’s Hand Grenade […], [United States]: Bookman Publishing & Marketing, →ISBN, pages 20–21:

     I sat down and tried to think of a logical way of explaining my scant knowledge of Mitchel Joseph, research lab director of the Memphis Zoo, whom I had seen a few times during the first few months of the Panda Pandamonium of last June. The entire city of Memphis was excited about the arrival of Le Le and Ya Ya, two young pandas from China. Joseph had been instrumental in managing the successful quarantine period.

Translations

furore caused by or involving pandas

• Finnish: pandakohu
• French: please add this translation if you can
• Greek: πανδαμόνιο (pandamónio)
• Portuguese: pandamônio m

Further reading

• giant panda on Wikipedia.Wikipedia