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 Compulsory worship with frightening dogma, which could lead you equally plausibly to heaven or hell. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 Lord knows, there are many reasons—funding, casting, development hell—that movies fail to get made. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Vivian Wilson’s latest modeling job comes with layered jewelry, a crimson veil and a supporting cast of women mythology put through hell. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 Queenie also visits her personal hell and the fates of LaLaurie and Laveau. — Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 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
  • Johansson, as the PR nightmare pop diva, matches him and even gets to show off her musical chops in a couple of the songs provided by New Zealand’s Kimba.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But then came the nightmare of Game 3, one of the Sox’s worst performances in weeks.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • The storms have caused flooding, havoc and devastation in several parts of Chile.
    — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • So where does this rank among the wackiest havoc ever wreaked by domes on innocent baseballs?
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • The film’s musical score, by Damon Albarn of Blur, has a haunting Bowie-like party-on-the-abyss shimmer.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Her writing transports us to Mount Sinai, Transylvania, Africa, the Amazon rainforest, Antarctica, Yellowstone, and the deep ocean abyss.
    — The Know, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of abyss
Noun
  • His personal agony fused with despair over the military government, which continued to crack down on democracy activists.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Now, the defining image of the death penalty in 2026 is a woman strapped to a gurney, in unbearable agony, being tortured by prison officials tasked with killing her but unable to do so.
    — Maya Foa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • The latter was one of the assistant coaches most responsible for leaving said mess that Mora was brought in to clean up in the first place.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Coffee spills, muddy shoes, pet mishaps, and everyday messes don’t have to turn into decorating disasters.
    — Ethan Stone October 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • The flames of perdition, fueled by guilt, estrangement, and repression, lap at society’s sham institutions and flimsy fronts of civility.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • On one page, tiny, antlike sinners tumbled down a cliff toward perdition.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of perdition
Noun
  • The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • For Palestinians, the anniversary brings another day of fear and misery.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 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 13 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hell

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