hellish

adjective

hell·​ish ˈhe-lish How to pronounce hellish (audio)
: 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 But even Southern California residents who are familiar with Death Valley’s hellish reputation will trek to the park just to experience the otherworldly heat. Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024 Fixated on increasing his profit and proving his power, Hammond imposed a hellish work regimen and demanded strict adherence to his exhaustive list of rules. Whitney Nell Stewart, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2024 The chin and upper lip are, in my experience, a particularly hellish, eye-watering area. Hunter Lacey, Allure, 3 July 2024 Hardy plays Johnny, the tough founder of the Vandals motorcycle club, a man whose quest for simple camaraderie spirals into something far more hellish. Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for hellish 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hellish.' 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

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hellish was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near hellish

Cite this Entry

“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellish. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

hellish

adjective
hell·​ish ˈhel-ish How to pronounce hellish (audio)
: of, resembling, or suitable to hell : infernal
hellishly adverb
hellishness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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