inferno
noun
in·fer·no
in-ˈfər-(ˌ)nō 
plural infernos
: a place or a state that resembles or suggests hell
the inferno of war
Examples of inferno in a Sentence
By the time help arrived, the fire had grown to a raging inferno.
the intense heat of the raging inferno repeatedly drove back the firefighters
Recent Examples on the Web
But the inferno nevertheless destroyed the homes of his son and daughter, who are 26 and 29.
—
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Los Angeles Fire Department made the decision to physically move the command post down Pacific Coast Highway and away from the Palisades because the inferno threatened to overtake their location.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Le Constellation bar, where 40 people died in the inferno, had not had a fire inspection since 2019, the president of the Crans-Montana council said.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
The complaints were expanded to allege that sparking or downed power lines exacerbated the inferno.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferno
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.
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Los Angeles Fire Department made the decision to physically move the command post down Pacific Coast Highway and away from the Palisades because the inferno threatened to overtake their location.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Le Constellation bar, where 40 people died in the inferno, had not had a fire inspection since 2019, the president of the Crans-Montana council said.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
The complaints were expanded to allege that sparking or downed power lines exacerbated the inferno.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferno
Cite this Entry
“Inferno.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferno. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inferno
noun
in·fer·no
in-ˈfər-nō
plural infernos
: a place or state that resembles or suggests hell especially in great heat or raging fire
Etymology
from Italian inferno "underworld, hell," from Latin infernus (same meaning), from earlier infernus (adjective) "lying beneath, in the lower regions"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
