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

The hellish conditions triggered by the planet’s collision with the city-size space rock wiped out all other birds and dinosaurs, O’Connor noted. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

As the film smash cuts to black on a frustratingly open-ended, very end-of-episode-one-style cliffhanger, the only conclusion is that in such a hellish scenario, no decision can ever be definitively judged to be the right one. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

There’s a distinct vibe shift on September 10, which could send you on an unexpected short trip to connect one-on-one with someone, and in the most grumblingly mundane sense, could make for a day of hellish commutes. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026

The probe flew within 21,564 miles (34,675 kilometers) of the hellish planet, taking the first close measurements of Venus at the time. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026

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