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 When the typewriter was first invented, writers kicked hell and said, The thing is writing. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 The cast, of course, knew that experience of family as heaven, hell and somewhere in between. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026 Avery met his wife Sally Michael–a hell of an artist in her own right–in Cape Ann and the couple honeymooned there in 1926 before moving to New York and meeting Gottlieb and Rothko. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Then Larry gets dropped in, and all hell breaks loose. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 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
  • The infernos destroyed buildings and forests alike, where the epic heat wave in Europe has hit record levels in many parts of the bloc.
    — Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
  • Through the engine’s windows, the towering inferno can be seen raging through the treeline just a few feet away from the unmoving train, the world around them rendered completely orange.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Cryptocurrency firms are facing a nightmare scenario in the Senate, where the shaky state of the industry’s top priority is threatening its plans to unleash midterm campaign cash against its enemies.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
  • Victims who were injured in the shooting described panic attacks, nightmares and the fear that still follows them into classrooms, neighborhoods and even their own bedrooms.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • Being asked to prove yourself to AI can play havoc on your confidence and ruin your chances of getting your foot in the door.
    — Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • That also plays havoc with his control over his web-shooting capabilities, both the old-school organic method and the tech version built for him by Tony Stark.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 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
  • Little overnight relief Exacerbating the misery will be the lack of cooling temperatures overnight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Smith Galer has much to say against the case for putting languages out of their misery, but her focus is on a point with which even the most unsentimental can surely sympathize.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 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 5 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!

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

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

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

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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