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
As Spielberg himself told Entertainment Weekly in a 2011 interview, Jaws was hell to make.
—
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 20 June 2025
When Orlando inevitably finds itself with a cap crunch or with a roster deficiency, the front office will have to find creative ways to work itself out of salary hell.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 16 June 2025
The voices in Brian’s head – and a resurrection
While bringing to life many of the band’s iconic songs, Wilson was also plunging deep into his personal hell, taking drugs including hashish, amphetamines and LSD.
—Christina Maxouris, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
Here, The Athletic spoke to some of the team’s long-distance supporters who make the journey through rain or shine, hell or high water, to Villa Park…
Jay White lives on the Isle of Wight.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 20 June 2025
When Orlando inevitably finds itself with a cap crunch or with a roster deficiency, the front office will have to find creative ways to work itself out of salary hell.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 16 June 2025
The voices in Brian’s head – and a resurrection
While bringing to life many of the band’s iconic songs, Wilson was also plunging deep into his personal hell, taking drugs including hashish, amphetamines and LSD.
—Christina Maxouris, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
Here, The Athletic spoke to some of the team’s long-distance supporters who make the journey through rain or shine, hell or high water, to Villa Park…
Jay White lives on the Isle of Wight.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell
Noun
-
Nearly half a year since the infernos swept through their neighborhoods, thousands of people remain displaced – those like Mr. Quiroz’s mother, who lost homes, and those like Mr. Quiroz and his family, whose homes still stand.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
-
But Israel has also widened the scope of its strikes to hit economic targets, turning vital parts of Iran’s fossil fuel infrastructure into infernos.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
For centuries, folklore and popular wisdom have linked poor eating habits and indigestion to nightmares and restless sleep.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
1 July 2025
-
None of this is meant to prompt nightmares of seventh grade civics class, raise doubts about one’s ability to pass a citizenship test, or question the arrangements for Friday’s barbeque.—
Michael Peregrine,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The bacteria causing havoc for summer swimmers include E.coli and Enterococcus — nasty germs often found in the feces of people and animals.—
Shreya Srinivasan,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
-
Cilic was never in the contest because of a foot blister that was causing havoc with pain and movement, something that was imperative against the balletic Federer.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
All that being said, the grimmest predictions as to how Iran might react to the bombings from Israel and the U.S. — and how the region could spiral ever closer to the abyss — now look overblown.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
-
Legislators can schedule a summer session or wait until the fall veto session to deal with the fiscal abyss.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
But playing with an already-strained right calf, the Oshkosh, Wis., native stepped awkwardly towards the basket and crumbled to the court in agony when his leg appeared to pop.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
24 June 2025
-
Finding alternatives that would end this agony would be one of American science’s most important achievements.—
Rachel Fobar,
Vox,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
Even before the credits start to unspool, Star Wars fashion, director Richard Lester lets fly with a series of slapstick sight gags that pile disaster on disaster until only Superman himself can untangle the mess.—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
7 July 2025
-
The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association also gathers in the early-morning hours at the Dana Point beach to clean up the crowd’s mess.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
4 July 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
-
Fortune said Thursday that the Obama administration gave Haitians temporary protective status after an earthquake devastated Haiti, multiplying the island’s many miseries.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
3 July 2025
-
The season ends with so many of the characters on the verge of a path to proper fulfillment; why prolong their misery?—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share