hellish

adjective

hell·​ish ˈhe-lish 

: of, resembling, or befitting hell

broadly : terrible

hellishly adverb

hellishness noun

Examples of hellish in a Sentence

We've been having hellish weather lately.

The battlefield was a hellish scene of death and destruction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Paul Greengrass’s intense wildfire thriller presents the shocking, most true tale of a school-bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) who winds up having to drive a group of elementary-schoolers through the hellish flames of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in California history. —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025

And McConaughey, as a nervy reluctant hero, steers the searing, intense narrative about normal people living through the most hellish of circumstances. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025

But the trip is going to be an extreme test of fortitude, fate, and faith, evidenced by Lionsgate's preview revealing obstacles including a hellish radiation storm, monster waves, meteors pummeling the Earth, and lethal bands of desperate survivors prowling the continent. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025

While Borderland depicts a different reality, Hellbound turns the real world into a hellish realm. —Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hellish

• relish
• embellish

Kids Definition

hellish

adjective

hell·​ish ˈhel-ish 

: of, resembling, or suitable to hell : infernal

hellishly adverb

hellishness noun