Melée is a synonym for hand to hand combat or mano-a-mano. Weapons commonly used in melée include swords, clubs, spears, axes, and almost anything you can hit someone with.

Usage of this word has increased in the general population due to its presence in computer gaming. A melée attack uses no ammunition, and to create game balance, these attacks may be faster or more powerful.

Melée is also used in the diamond industry to describe small cut gem diamonds. It is also a simple name for the Nintendo GameCube game Super Smash Bros. Melee.