Gehenna

noun

gi-ˈhe-nə How to pronounce Gehenna (audio)
Definition of Gehennanext
1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness the depression that has enshrouded her since the death of her husband is a Gehenna from which she may never be released

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hell
the place of punishment for the wicked after death in a fire-and-brimstone sermon, the evangelist warned those assembled that they faced the fires of Gehenna if they failed to repent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of Gehenna In Memoriam looks at these vampires and how they’ve been thrust into the limelight due to the Gehenna War. — Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 The ball arcs toward Gehenna, and Kemp’s hyper narrator Naruto-runs off the page, trying kawaiily to get under it. — Alexandra Tanner, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Gehenna
  1. nightmare
  2. hell
  3. agony
  4. inferno
  5. torment
  6. misery
  7. horror
  8. torture
Noun
  • After the raid, his daughter struggled with recurring nightmares, the lawsuit said.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Recurring nightmares Juana Rodriguez attended the festival with her three-year-old son.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • The band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Searching for Wendy in the depths of the Sephora store, Stan watches his surroundings shift from slightly off, to off, to get-me-the-hell-out-of-here off.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • The minutes had passed so quickly for the rest of the world, but for the families waiting to learn whether their children were alive, the abrupt end of the gunfire wasn’t the end of their agony.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • In 1994, a raging inferno erupted at a home in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Other passengers included André Breton, Victor Serge, and Claude Lévi-Strauss—all fleeing the inferno.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Garland wasted no time giving Clippers fans something to smile about after an offseason of torment and transformation.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, at Cannes, Calvo sat through the screening in a state of torment.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of torment
Noun
  • Waiting for the Jets are the defending AFC champion Patriots and a stadium that has delivered far more misery than milestones.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • With Dunham as creator, showrunner and star, the original series followed a group of friends through the misery and dysfunction of their 20s in New York City.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • This article contains spoilers from popular horror movies and shows.
    — Arryn Robbins, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • First introduced in Stephen King’s 1974 novel, Carrie, the character was immortalized in director Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation, widely regarded as one of the best horror films of all time.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of horror
Noun
  • After hours of torture, Chamberlain managed to free one of her hands from a pair of handcuffs with her teeth, unclip a leather leg restraint and quietly bolt out the door as Evonitz slept.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The psychological torture of this show on its audience knows no bounds.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of torture

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Cite this Entry

“Gehenna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Gehenna. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Gehenna

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Gehenna

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