hell

noun

1
a(1)
: a nether world in which the dead continue to exist : hades
(2)
: the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which condemned people suffer everlasting punishment
often used in curses
go to hell
or as a generalized term of abuse
the hell with it
b
Christian Science : error sense 2b, sin
2
a
: a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness
war is hellW. T. Sherman
b
: a place or state of turmoil or destruction
all hell broke loose
c
: a severe scolding
also : flak, grief
gave me hell for coming in late
d
: unrestrained fun or sportiveness
the kids were full of hell
often used in the phrase for the hell of it especially to suggest action on impulse or without a serious motive
decided to go for the hell of it
e
: an extremely unpleasant and often inescapable situation
rush-hour hell
3
archaic : a tailor's receptacle
4
used as an interjection
hell, I don't know!
or as an intensive
hurts like hell
funny as hell
often used in the phrase hell of a
it was one hell of a good fight
or hell out of
scared the hell out of him
or with the or in
moved way the hell up north
what in hell is wrong, now?
Phrases
from hell
: being the worst or most dreadful of its kind
a vacation from hell
hell on
: very hard on or destructive to
the constant traveling is hell on your digestive system
hell or high water
: difficulties of whatever kind or size
will stand by her convictions come hell or high water
hell to pay
: dire consequences
if he's late there'll be hell to pay
what the hell
used interjectionally to express a lack of concern about consequences or risks
it might cost him half his estate … but what the hellN. W. Aldrich born 1935

Examples of hell in a Sentence

Getting the loan approved was pure hell. He went through hell during his divorce. She had to go through hell to get where she is today. Living with the disease can be a hell on earth. The pain has made her life a living hell.
Recent Examples on the Web Agatha All Along had one hell of an episode last night with a fractured story told out of order through the broken mind of Lillia, who has been experiencing parts of her life non-linearly, hence her odd behavior for parts of this season. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 The plot: Freddy's been burning in hell since The Final Nightmare, unable to occupy anyone's dreams. Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024 Apple Intelligence better be a hell of an upgrade because, without it, the new Mini isn’t much of an upgrade at all. David Pierce, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2024 Lucy also feels guilty for making Drew’s life a living hell, but Stephen helps calm her down and push away the blame. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hell 

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English helle, going back to Old English hell, helle, going back to Germanic *haljō (whence also Old Saxon hellia "abode of the dead," Old High German hella, hellia, Old Norse hel "abode of the dead, the death goddess," Gothic halja, translating Greek Háidēs), perhaps from an o-grade nominal derivative of the Germanic verbal base *hel- "cover, hide" — more at conceal

Note: The connection with *hel- "conceal" is traditional in the etymological literature, though given that the literal meaning of *haljō, the mythological abode of the dead, is unknown, it must be regarded as speculative.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of hell was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hell

Cite this Entry

“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hell. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hell

noun
1
: a place where souls are believed to survive after death
2
: the place or state of punishment for the wicked after death : the home of evil spirits
3
: a place or condition of misery or wickedness
4
: a place or state of great confusion, disorder, or destruction : havoc, pandemonium
5
: something that causes torment
especially : a severe scolding

Biographical Definition

Hell

biographical name

Stefan (Walter) 1962–     German (Romanian-born) chemist

More from Merriam-Webster on hell

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