fire and brimstone

noun

: the torments suffered by sinners in hell
fire-and-brimstone adjective

Examples of fire and brimstone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lead singer Brandon Coleman’s fire and brimstone vocals tie it all together, and hint at the undercurrent of faith that runs through the band. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024 Carroll was very good at that, merging positivity with fire and brimstone when it was required. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2024 The British starlet unloads fire and brimstone in an emotional delivery that will be cited as one of her most commanding scenes. Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023 The last time Pat saw Ron, there was none of the fire and brimstone of his more combative moments. Max Olesker, Longreads, 13 July 2023 The Biden administration should bolster public media in order to provide more sober alternatives to the fire and brimstone of cable news. Nina Jankowicz, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2020 To most effectively promote a moral lifestyle, however, religious leaders may want to scrap the heavenly reassurance and preach more fire and brimstone: While belief in hell is strongly associated with lower crime rates, belief in heaven is actually tied to more crime. Sophie Bushwick, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2012 Climate change means fire and brimstone forever. Gerard Baker, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2021 Last year at Orlando and then at Dallas, these speakers spoke in voices full of fire and brimstone. Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 4 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fire and brimstone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fire and brimstone was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fire and brimstone

Cite this Entry

“Fire and brimstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20and%20brimstone. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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