1
as in inferno
the place of punishment for the wicked after death
condemned to hell for their sins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
picking cotton under the hot summer sun was hell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
all hell broke loose when the jury's verdict was announced
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 hell
Yes, war is hell and that pain should be felt by the instigators of war (like Vladimir Putin) and not just the victims (like Volodymyr Zelenskyy).
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025
He’s gained maturity and perspective by going through hell and back a couple times on the way to getting clean and sober; and he’s developed even more of both via fatherhood and, more recently, grandfatherhood.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2025
Recent matchups: Lumen Field has been hell on earth for MNUFC.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 30 May 2025
But even the flames of hell can’t keep Southerners away from our beloved summer desserts.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025
He’s gained maturity and perspective by going through hell and back a couple times on the way to getting clean and sober; and he’s developed even more of both via fatherhood and, more recently, grandfatherhood.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2025
Recent matchups: Lumen Field has been hell on earth for MNUFC.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 30 May 2025
But even the flames of hell can’t keep Southerners away from our beloved summer desserts.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell
Noun
-
Achieving the effect required precise teamwork—all while the actor navigated the growing inferno.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
4 June 2025
-
As images of the inferno and its aftermath circulated, some took to social media to bemoan the loss while others celebrated its destruction.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Left-hander Reid Detmers, whose three-game nightmare stretch a month ago began with a game in Seattle, struck out two in a scoreless inning, including Mariners star Cal Raleigh.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
7 June 2025
-
For rule-followers like me, the prankster types were a nightmare.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
The adventurer turns out to be a wild champion of havoc who alienates friends and demolishes any social scene.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
-
Suddenly, Nicky, who Chloe has erased from her life, is back in the picture and causing havoc as the police investigate the murder and zero in on Ethan, who had tensions with his father.—
Nina Metz Chicago Tribune,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
And if left unchecked, the legal abyss can grow ever wider.—
Amanda Taub,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
She’s headed back into the abyss and that cycle of suffering and escape and return that’s moved and frustrated viewers across the years.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
And that gave him some kind of legitimacy after 40 years of agony, derided by the music press.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
-
For more than a year, the Perry family waited in agony for answers.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
The mess, not the message, is what many Americans absorbed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
-
But chances are, this habit can snowball and become a cluttered mess.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet, the measure was promptly shuffled into the House Rules Committee, where it could be buried to perdition.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2025
-
Appropriately for a fantasy of perdition suited to this nihilistic century, the logic of eternal punishment remains opaque.—
Elisa Gonzalez,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In a season full of misery and a historic number of losses, there was plenty of reason to celebrate Colorado’s first walk-off win.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
12 June 2025
-
Greta’s missed opportunity to understand the deep roots of this misery is another lesson lost to the world.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share