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
The summer movie season — hell, the movie industry — is in its horror era.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 June 2026
For him and for a lot of artists and writers, seeing people experience your work in person—like being at a gallery opening with your own work on the walls and people spilling wine on it—is a kind of hell on earth.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
The Miami duo’s electrifying, boundary-bending combination of Haitian kompa, underground rap, reggaeton, electro-pop, and baile funk is loud as hell and rich in egalitarian spirit.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Dawn’s blood will open an interdimensional portal so Glory can get back to her hell dimension.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hell
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 June 2026
For him and for a lot of artists and writers, seeing people experience your work in person—like being at a gallery opening with your own work on the walls and people spilling wine on it—is a kind of hell on earth.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
The Miami duo’s electrifying, boundary-bending combination of Haitian kompa, underground rap, reggaeton, electro-pop, and baile funk is loud as hell and rich in egalitarian spirit.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Dawn’s blood will open an interdimensional portal so Glory can get back to her hell dimension.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell
Noun
-
The inferno killed 12 people, destroyed more than 6,500 structures across the Palisades and Malibu and caused billions of dollars in damage.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
The complaints also allege that sparking or downed power lines exacerbated the inferno.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
This is best for owners who want to offer a meaningful benefit to a growing team without the administrative nightmare of a full-scale corporate plan.—
Chris Kline,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
That’s when the cleanup started…and when Scot Meisenheimer’s medical nightmares began.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
El Niño can also wreak havoc on the many marine ecosystems that support the world’s fishing industries, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows.—
Dillon Amaya,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
-
From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc.—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Sun Yuqi An underdog’s shortcut through a success scam, from city vanity to border wilderness, becomes a fatal abyss.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
Habermas wished, in a sense, to vacate the hotel and traverse the abyss outside.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
There is a reason why, if and when a goal is scored in the opening game between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday afternoon, TV directors will focus on the scenes of agony and ecstasy both on the pitch and in the stands at Estadio Azteca.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Witnesses to previous nitrogen executions in Alabama have described the condemned in apparent agony.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Trim overhanging limbs and relocate furniture to avoid popular bird perches that drop messes onto your patio.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
-
Three people are dead and she, a completely innocent party in this whole mess, is left holding the check.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Misprisions of this kind were more likely to occur, the experts argued, in religious settings marked by the rigorous policing of strict ethical injunctions or an emphasis on particular states of mind as markers of grace or perdition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Sloth, after all, is a deadly sin, and it was often seen as the first step on the slippery slope to perdition.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Most Falcons fans know the misery of what 28-3 means without even going through the whole story behind it.—
AJC Sports,
AJC.com,
11 June 2026
-
The Rays put the Red Sox out of their misery in two hours and 10 minutes.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
