hell

noun

ˈhel How to pronounce hell (audio)
Definition of hellnext
1
as in inferno
the place of punishment for the wicked after death condemned to hell for their sins

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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

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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

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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 For those who have endured it, the lottery curse is more akin to spending a few weeks of your life in celebrity hell. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026 Then Larry gets dropped in, and all hell breaks loose. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 The only thing that’s not authentic is Larry, then let that cause all hell to break loose. — Peter White, Deadline, 26 June 2026 Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat are about to go on a hell of a trip. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell
  1. inferno
  2. nightmare
  3. havoc
  4. abyss
  5. agony
  6. mess
  7. perdition
  8. misery
Noun
  • Sunday’s temperature for the men’s final is forecast to be around 82 degrees—hot, yes, but nothing like the inferno that was Paris—and so external factors would seem to be at a minimum.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 10 July 2026
  • At least 12 people have been killed in one of southern Spain’s worst-ever wildfires, local officials said Friday, as tragic stories emerge of victims’ attempts to flee the inferno.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Once contracted, the parasite basically results in a bathroom nightmare.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Elite hands, strong and a schematic nightmare for defensive coordinators.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 15 July 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • His counterpressing has been a major aid to the way the team plays, and Balogun’s ability to run in behind the lines and cause havoc in the box opens space and makes things easier for the attacking players around him.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • You’d be forgiven for thinking far fewer of the destructive predators are causing havoc, however.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • This week, Gracie Abrams pens a tearjerker on mother-daughter relationships, Steve Lacy escapes the abyss of a breakup on a colossal double track, and Beabadoobee contemplates risk and reward on a fuzzy new single.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
  • As happened four years ago, Argentina look into the abyss and see what no one else sees.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Stormwater can also wash away gravel and mulch, leaving you with a mess to clean up after every rain.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • Swap a mess of tiny tea candles for a larger scented candle styled on a tray with a pair of decorative matches.
    — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Under cover of awkward teen dancing, the pair slipped into the library, riffled through the card catalog, and discovered, in addition to Soul on Ice, eight other volumes in PONY-U perdition.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 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
Definition of perdition
Noun
  • Not to be outdone, other tick species are also spreading out and causing more misery.
    — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Nobody, save biblical Job, has had more misery hurled at them.
    — Alex Pulaski, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of misery

Phrases Containing hell

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heliports
hell
hellacious
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Cite this Entry

“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

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