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
Calm on the surface, paddling like hell underneath.
—
Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
There's no f---ing way in hell that that would even be a thing.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
The Dallas Cowboys love the glare Every fan of the Cowboys is all too familiar with the late afternoon sun blaring through the windows on the west side of AT&T Stadium that creates hell for pass catchers.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
He's done a hell of a job making all my trades and investments on my behalf!
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hell
Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
There's no f---ing way in hell that that would even be a thing.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
The Dallas Cowboys love the glare Every fan of the Cowboys is all too familiar with the late afternoon sun blaring through the windows on the west side of AT&T Stadium that creates hell for pass catchers.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
He's done a hell of a job making all my trades and investments on my behalf!
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 18 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
-
As the noise-rap-electro act Jane Remover shrieked and pleaded through a 90-minute marathon set at the Fonda on Thursday night, one very young couple dressed right out of a conservative‘s nightmare — gender-ambiguous, purple hair, facial piercings — tapped me on the shoulder.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
The killing scenes of the regime were so fresh in my nightmares when the war began and now the sound of airstrikes and fighter jets added to them.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
To wreak havoc on an unknown person.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
-
He was also caught on surveillance video allegedly on the attack outside a pizzeria with a weapon, the outlet reported, adding that social media videos show havoc in other areas of the city as well.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
20 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
-
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
And your character is in such agony.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Topuria was a bloody and swollen mess by the time his corner stopped the fight between the fourth and fifth rounds.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
In other words, why mess with perfection?—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
18 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
-
So the roughly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are now living in greater misery than ever.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
-
Knicks fans know all about the misery part.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
