1
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
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
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
But the tour was a hellacious time for Bachman.
—
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
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
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
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
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
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
-
Russia had vowed more intense attacks and warned foreign diplomats to abandon Kyiv.—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
-
That funding faced intense scrutiny from a handful of Republicans, prompting senators to abandon it.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
That was so tragic, so difficult for Prince William and Prince Harry which has stayed with them.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Every business leader waiting for a difficult market to come around should pay attention to what happened in Seoul.—
Bill Schiffmiller,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
For Paul, dragging long sheets of metal was intensive.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
Distillation is a process in which a small, less resource-intensive model learns to mimic a large, expensive one.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The most challenging decision of the day might be selecting a picnic spot or which lagoon to snorkel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
What Destin and Andrew have is a mandate to deliver to the audience something utterly unique, utterly endearing, quite challenging, and intelligent.—
Ben Kingsley,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Reddit is home to many of Civilization VII’s fiercest critics, but Test of Time also appears to be well received there, too.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
More recent air quality news Major automakers are urging the EPA to delay tougher vehicle pollution standards for two years.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
In a tough economy for local breweries, Clairvoyant has found a way to keep its heart beating.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fires ravaged the ballpark’s left-field bleachers in May 1926, and a tornado’s ferocious winds tore through additional sections of seats that July, and ownership could not afford to renovate.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Noisy, ebullient, ferocious and free, Dance!—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Every small business article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of small business products.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
The campaign was the work of Claude Hopkins, an advertising executive with a passion for rigorous testing and measurable results.—
Julia Dhar,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
