HELLACIOUS Synonyms: 154 Similar and Opposite Words

hellacious

adjective

ˌhe-ˈlā-shəs

Definition of hellacious

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect the hellacious heat was more than we could bear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 hellacious His hellacious brand of defense is a nightmare for opposing benches in particular. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 The skiers were in a valley below Perry Peak, but the two survivors have described battling through hellacious conditions in the hour before the avalanche. — Andrew Graham april 2, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2026 But the tour was a hellacious time for Bachman. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 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 See All Example Sentences for hellacious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellacious

Adjective

The normally quiet state race became the focus on intense scrutiny because of a pattern of incendiary remarks by French, the former Tarrant County GOP chair.

— Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
Lara faced intense scrutiny and criticism during his eight years in office from Californians frustrated by rising prices, fewer options and how their claims were handled.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of intense

Adjective

The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Highly dependent on capital intensive deployments and leveraged financing, these firms must bring data centers online quickly to service debt with compute revenue and sustain operations.

— , CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
Google said the Wyoming facility will use air cooling to reduce pressure on local water resources, rather than relying on water-intensive cooling systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of intensive

Adjective

Manufacturing electronic devices from it remains difficult, particularly because reliably controlling its electrical properties through doping is challenging.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Porter knew Friday’s game would be a challenging one against the Tillers.

— Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

But many others are unpopular and have faced fierce opposition.

— Joe Heim, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
The once-fierce rivalry, which accounted for five Stanley Cup titles from 1996-2002, has cooled significantly since Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference and the teams have not been competitive at the same time.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

With the balance of power in Tallahassee at stake, Miami’s Republican state senators fended off tough challenges Tuesday night, while Democratic candidates flipped several South Florida state House seats for the minority party in Florida’s capital.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Whoever wins the contest will be stepping into one of the California’s toughest political jobs.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

The rising, warming sea and ferocious winter storms have battered the road.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

Under 1% leave during the rigorous six-month SEAL Qualification Training course, which is the final leg of the pipeline before they are assigned to a SEAL team.

— James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
The agreement capped Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, reduced its operational centrifuge numbers, required Iran to repurpose its nuclear weapons development facilities, and established more rigorous international inspections to verify compliance.

— S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of rigorous

Browse Nearby Words

hell

hellacious

hell-bent

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Style

“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of hellacious

adjective

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