1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the hellacious heat was more than we could bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the pioneers survived a particularly hellacious river crossing with their covered wagon barely in one piece
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hellacious
Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid dished out three assists and a hellacious hit on Czechia forward Lukas Sedlec on his first shift early in the first period that set the tone for a fast paced, hard hitting and unselfish display of often breathtaking hockey.
—
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 Feb. 2026
Even against a hellacious Houston defense, the Patriots’ shortest path to victory is to ask Maye to carry them yet again.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Playing a school driver who has to get a bunch of kids to safety during a hellacious, out-of-control California fire, McConaughey learned how to drive a bus, grinding gears and everything.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Having a baby is never an easy experience, but the sixth episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood plunged poor Julia (Hermione Corfield) into a hellacious labor experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 Feb. 2026
Even against a hellacious Houston defense, the Patriots’ shortest path to victory is to ask Maye to carry them yet again.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Playing a school driver who has to get a bunch of kids to safety during a hellacious, out-of-control California fire, McConaughey learned how to drive a bus, grinding gears and everything.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Having a baby is never an easy experience, but the sixth episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood plunged poor Julia (Hermione Corfield) into a hellacious labor experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellacious
Adjective
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But today’s wars of words seem designed to fuel intense polarization, not to change minds.—
Lisa Pavia-Higel,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
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Big tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have prioritized growing their chips business to rely less on AI chipmaker Nvidia, who reported a strong first quarter last week, even as competition is getting more intense from rivals including Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Building the program had proved difficult.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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Sindcom 14-Piece Food Storage Containers Set The pantry is one of the most difficult places to organize thanks to boxes of cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, and more scattered about.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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The intensive land use required to grow corn for ethanol has its own effects on water quality and fertilizer use as well, Runge says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
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Upstairs, in the third-floor intensive-care unit, nurse Tammy Fritchey, a 27-year-veteran, places blankets and pillows over patients who are too sick to move, the ones on ventilators.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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During a particularly challenging episode with her mental health, Halverson said, his mother went to stay with her sister in Wisconsin.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Perhaps my teen years and college (particularly the latter) would have not been so challenging emotionally, academically and socially.—
Sahaj Kaur Kohli,
Washington Post,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Defending winner Ross Chastain is returning to compete against fierce contenders like Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
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Lander, a former comptroller and mayoral candidate, was once a more vocal supporter of Israel and a fierce opponent of the boycott Israel movement, including during a previous contentious fight over Israel at the co-op in 2012.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose ferocious, hard-hitting style of play angered opponents and sometimes overshadowed his prodigious skills and ability to deliver in the biggest games, has died after taking his own life, according to authorities.—
Stephen Whyno,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
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Despite the ferocious domestic rivalries, the Tartan Army is considered among the world’s friendliest football fans, known for singing and mingling instead of brawling (even if only while their national team is playing).—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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For decades, the legal profession has maintained strict boundaries around who can provide services in the form of licenses that require professionals to undergo significant schooling and rigorous testing.—
Robert Scott,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.—
John Csiszar,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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