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

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 Superhero movies weren't dominating the box office, and tapping the Evil Dead director for a PG-13 action romp that had been in development hell for 25 years wasn't guaranteed to work out. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026 The one who’s the first to sound the group chat alarm during a food recall, virus, extreme weather event, or some other fresh hell coming our way? — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 July 2026 For the non-Blade Runner faithful, replicants are synthetic humans who can create a lot of hell. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026 In Harrenhal, Aemond is plagued by nightmares of his (not) dead brother dragging him to hell. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 20 July 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
  • The blaze was far smaller than a vast inferno that has swept up the Bordeaux region in southwestern France in recent days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • The soaring temperatures have caused raging infernos across southern France and Spain, with European wildfires burning through 56% more land than in prior years.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • But things turned into a nightmare in the second quarter, as the Aces put a damper on the celebrations.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • With Skubal and so many other players injured, their May was abysmal, the type of nightmare month that can tank an entire season.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • Iran has aimed significant firepower at its neighbors’ refineries, oil exports and tourist attractions, inflicting economic havoc on the Gulf states and the countries that do business with them.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • This can create a tricky situation if those roots are causing havoc around your home’s foundation or otherwise disrupting your landscaping.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Because of the abyss that comes into play in the mid-30s at RB, grabbing a RB (or two) in the first three tiers is crucial.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Thanks largely to the abyss of actual football to discuss, the last two weeks have been overrun by the ongoing rhetoric between the SEC and Big Ten.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • The man with almost no injury was writhing in agony, while the man with a four-inch nail lodged near his brain kept working for six days, not even realizing the nail was there.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Instead of wailing in agony after sampling the vengefully spiked bird, Prince fell in love with it and founded the BBQ Chicken Shack in 1945.
    — Ellen Fort, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Early on, the Pisces Moon in your 4th House of Home opposes Venus in your 10th House of Career, so family needs, private emotions, or household mess may compete with public responsibilities.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • An election is coming, and only the voters can fix this mess — at the ballot box in November.
    — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 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
  • The player whose arrival in 2022 signaled the end of a five-year run of misery.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • For so long, many have believed that God is Spirit, yet, somehow, expelled us out of His presence into the vulnerability and misery of matter.
    — Mark Swinney, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026
Definition of misery

Phrases Containing hell

Browse Nearby Words

heliports
hell
hellacious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All