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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In New Jersey, the hellish corners of New Jersey of converted warehouses and things like that. Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025 That's the hellish scenario faced by former Bachelor Clayton Echard in the new season of Netflix's Perfect Match. EW.com, 30 July 2025 Your husband doubts whether hydrangeas could survive the hellish weather of Virginia? Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 July 2025 Current boyfriend Oli Green is up to snuff in a regulation dark City-of-London/Wall-Street let’s-argue-about-the-tariffs suit, but the suit has got a hellish job of work boosting Green even so much as a few months older than his 28 years. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hellish

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hellish was circa 1530

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Cite this Entry

“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellish. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

hellish

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

More from Merriam-Webster on hellish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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