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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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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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 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
  • Once contracted, the parasite basically results in a bathroom nightmare.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Elite hands, strong and a schematic nightmare for defensive coordinators.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 15 July 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • His counterpressing has been a major aid to the way the team plays, and Balogun’s ability to run in behind the lines and cause havoc in the box opens space and makes things easier for the attacking players around him.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • You’d be forgiven for thinking far fewer of the destructive predators are causing havoc, however.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • This week, Gracie Abrams pens a tearjerker on mother-daughter relationships, Steve Lacy escapes the abyss of a breakup on a colossal double track, and Beabadoobee contemplates risk and reward on a fuzzy new single.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
  • As happened four years ago, Argentina look into the abyss and see what no one else sees.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Stormwater can also wash away gravel and mulch, leaving you with a mess to clean up after every rain.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • Swap a mess of tiny tea candles for a larger scented candle styled on a tray with a pair of decorative matches.
    — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 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

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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 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

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