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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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 Minamoto Yoshitsune was a strategist who went to hell and took it over, defeating the Oni who guarded hell. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 Goldberg has long been open about attempting to get another Sister Act movie off the ground, with Goldberg even previously listing Palmer as part of her dream cast for Sister Act 3, which has been stuck in development hell for years. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026 The game is also not easy; there’s a lot of bullet hell here, and many rooms are tight and filled with hazards and enemies. — ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 Nearly 50 years later, Kittredge allows Boorman to revisit that cinematic circle of hell himself in a nuanced and surprisingly emotional documentary that hangs with you long after seeing it. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 July 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
  • Hiding underneath a desk in a classroom was an 8-foot python, which fire officials say started the inferno.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The inferno that follows, as the betrayer’s dragon sets fire to both armies and then Tumbleton itself, will be rendered with both practical flames and CGI.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • But her kindly and supportive cop boyfriend Nick (Brandon Perea) rightly insists that the duo should perhaps move out of the house when Gemma’s habitual nightmares intensify.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As the title suggests, the film indeed opens with a dream, one that emerges from the nightmares of history.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • The wingers were the stand-out performers during the pre-season trip to Asia, with Antoine Semenyo in particular — but also Savinho — causing havoc with their dribbling.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The havoc a hacker wreaks using their attack could be catastrophic.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • And into the abyss of checks and balances, entitlement crept in.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And what is perhaps most frightening, in those despondent moments that inevitably follow the exhilarating rush, is the realization that this enveloping abyss retains the imprint of our actions.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • Such is the ecstasy, the agony, of judgment, which was never for their benefit.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of agony
Noun
  • The lineup has expanded beyond its viral multi-balm, too, with lightweight SPF sticks and even a mess-minimizing grinding cleansing balm.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 15 Aug. 2026
  • This major price cut gives pet owners, apartment renters, and busy families an easy way to clean up the mess in a single pass without retail price strain.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 14 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
  • Elci said the uncertainty — and being taken off the air for even a day — was misery.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Another finds his misery exacerbated by a Christmas spent shooting a war movie opposite its star Brad Pitt’s stand-in, in a rare evocation of how impersonal blockbuster filmmaking has become.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

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