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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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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 Commentary and opinion Mosquitoes are making Los Angeles summers a living hell, argues columnist Robin Abcarian. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Despite being shared with other characters, James' version of Silent Hill feels like his personal hell, one born of his twisted psyche. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 Traditional Chinese beliefs envisioned an afterlife that in many ways mirrored the world of the living, rather than the Christian or Islamic conception of heaven or hell as a person’s ultimate destination. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Is the morality fable at the end an allegory of purgatory or hell? — The Week Us, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 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
  • Four cars and two storage containers were damaged by the inferno, the fire department said.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The crew use three tiers of flame bars behind Howell to spark the inferno that will snake through prom, fueled by the growing intensity of Carrie’s powers.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • The exhibition puts designer Pierre-Olivier Persin’s bust of the creature alongside the syringes, vials and other medical paraphernalia from the mysterious Substance kit that sets the movie’s nightmare in motion.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Watching a cheesy sitcom opening turn into a bloody field day for a time-traveling serial killer or unedited footage of a bear turn into a pharmaceutical nightmare is the ultimate expression of that unapologetic commitment to keeping us on our toes.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • In Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator Corey Heteherman’s system, everything starts with creating havoc up front.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The secondary is experienced and has shown a knack for causing havoc against opposing quarterbacks.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Just beyond the marks, the abyss fell away for hundreds of feet.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • When John reveals the Halogram to Kerry (after fair warning), the look on her face is a mix of shock and agony.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Burns, 28, dropped to the ground in agony on his 25th snap of the Giants’ narrow 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Driver is the unreliable but well-intentioned brother/uncle who gets them into this sordid mess.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026
  • An aluminum core helps distribute heat evenly, while drip-free pouring rims help keep messes contained.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • The flames of perdition, fueled by guilt, estrangement, and repression, lap at society’s sham institutions and flimsy fronts of civility.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • On one page, tiny, antlike sinners tumbled down a cliff toward perdition.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of perdition
Noun
  • His Lamb goes from a brash Yorkshire showman to a callous profiteer of human vice and misery, his cheeky smile becoming a vicious snarl.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Sunday’s results, coupled with the trouncing in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month, heap misery on an already beleaguered Merz.
    — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 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 30 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

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