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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
  • That led to the rest of the tour’s openers and even Sheeran’s backing band for the tour dropping off the tour in solidarity with Macklemore — all of which became a huge news story and PR nightmare for the usually very un-controversial Sheeran.
    — Brendan Menapace, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The Texans are supposed to be elite on the defensive side of the ball, but having to face Allen and then Burrow will give any defensive coordinator nightmares.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • One way to ensure is to prepare for the amount of havoc the Red Wolves will attempt to generate with a creative defensive scheme.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The rain was incessant and the wind was playing havoc on the almost invisible race course.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Anything less and the balance of the Heat’s offseason — and future — tilts toward an abyss.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Some misjudge its power and are swept away, their final moments lost in the churning abyss.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • There are few harsher agonies than waiting, and throughout the great expanse of the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, two riders felt that in very different ways.
    — Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But for Roma, the agony for his missing son did not end that day.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • One person may be disappointed by your choice, but overextending yourself could create a bigger mess.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Styptic pencils, made with the same fast-acting aluminum sulfate, are reusable and packaged with a protective cap to prevent mess.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • On one page, tiny, antlike sinners tumbled down a cliff toward perdition.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of perdition
Noun
  • Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.
    — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Giannoulias hasn’t taken a dime from AIPAC — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — in this campaign, but that didn’t stop the mayor from attempting to tie Giannoulias to the misery in the Middle East.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

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