1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the hellacious heat was more than we could bear
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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
Scott’s hellacious run in hip-hop can be credited to his 100-plus Billboard Hot 100 entries and two blockbuster releases, 2018’s Astroworld and 2023’s Utopia, which both secured the top spot on the Billboard 200.
—
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
The canine snarl and hellacious production of Whole Lotta Red has dissipated for something sleeker, more vaporous.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2025
Caruso isn't the only reason why the Thunder boast such a hellacious defense this year, but he's been a major contributor to it.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Johnny Robles destroyed James Settle in just 20 seconds with a hellacious right cross.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
The canine snarl and hellacious production of Whole Lotta Red has dissipated for something sleeker, more vaporous.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2025
Caruso isn't the only reason why the Thunder boast such a hellacious defense this year, but he's been a major contributor to it.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Johnny Robles destroyed James Settle in just 20 seconds with a hellacious right cross.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellacious
Adjective
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An intense pain that isn't going away There the lone doctor examined him and gave him an EKG to look at how his heart was functioning.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Sports, especially intense ones like rafting, invoke our competitive spirit.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Diseases that are difficult to manage without early intervention, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, place a significant burden on health care budgets and patient quality of life.—
Kim Praitano,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Critics question whether a battery swap network—capital intensive, dependent on fleet adoption, and distributed across so many different markets—can scale profitably.—
Clay Chandler,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Students who have a plan can better anticipate what to expect and manage their time and energy, even during the challenging moments. Don’t have a strategy?—
Micki Meyer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
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In life and the garden: Try to be tolerant, don’t demand perfection and figure out how to improve challenging, tough situations.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the barrios of the American Southwest, chola girls perfected their look with dark lip liner, oversized flannels, and nameplate earrings, styling themselves with fierce precision that both declared loyalty and warded off erasure.—
Alexandra Jane,
Essence,
31 July 2025
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In the last few years, fierce controversies have often been sparked by commercials, with commentators seemingly viewing ad campaigns as the battleground for a never-ending culture war.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Lamont, who had proposed boosting special education aid by $40 million — but not until July 2026 — countered that the state budget already was on pace to exceed the budget cap and that legislators needed to make tough choices and trim spending.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
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Stage eight on Saturday will mark the start of a tough weekend of reckoning for the GC riders in the mountains to conclude the Tour.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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An inside look at the birth and power of ferocious storms Lowry credits the current warming in the Atlantic to a weakening of the Bermuda High, a pattern of high pressure that expands and shrinks over the western Atlantic and heavily influences hurricane movement.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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That rear wing incorporates a Formula 1-style drag-reduction system, S-duct air channel, aggressive front splitter, and rear diffuser to help generate an impressive 860 kilograms of downforce at 177 mph for ferocious performance.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Ozzy Osbourne shared 3 children with first wife Thelma Riley The father of six children over two marriages, Osbourne has been vocal about how rigorous touring and alcohol use affected his family life.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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The 22-year-old flew to the United States and went through the DCC’s rigorous tryouts, eventually becoming one of six new rookies to join the 36-member squad, out of thousands who auditioned.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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