as in horrible
of, resembling, or befitting hell
We've been having hellish weather lately. The battlefield was a hellish scene of death and destruction.
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Recent Examples of hellish
The latter in particular has a gorgeous overground section matched with a hellish underworld stretch, the blending of which make for some of Nintendo’s finest graphical work, with a masterpiece of a soundtrack to boot.
—
Ryan Gaur, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2025
The overall hellish conditions have prompted as many asfive million Venezuelans to flee their homes in recent years, often heading toward neighboring countries on foot, experts say.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Akatsuki spent a decade orbiting the planet and was well beyond its design lifetime when its mission ended, giving unprecedented looks at the hellish atmosphere of Venus.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Come for the downward spiral of hellish despair, stay for macabre goat Black Phillip and the ominous climax.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Ryan Gaur, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2025
The overall hellish conditions have prompted as many asfive million Venezuelans to flee their homes in recent years, often heading toward neighboring countries on foot, experts say.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Akatsuki spent a decade orbiting the planet and was well beyond its design lifetime when its mission ended, giving unprecedented looks at the hellish atmosphere of Venus.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Come for the downward spiral of hellish despair, stay for macabre goat Black Phillip and the ominous climax.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellish
Adjective
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Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
7 Jan. 2026
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Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Hoosiers, of course, are the prime example of a longtime awful football program rising to the top.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
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Mamdani hasn’t had time yet to flesh out his awful, socialist ideas into real policies that adversely affect New Yorkers.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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It’s been a dreadful first week of 2026 for the local hackerama.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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However, for some, the night can sometimes be lackluster or even dreadful—which sadly was the case for Kate Middleton almost 20 years ago.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Such jars of moldy fruit were probably fairly hideous to consume.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Up north, hundreds of sea lions have been found on beaches in recent months suffering from a bacterial condition that is sickening and killing younger sea lions by attacking their kidneys, said John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles in San Pedro.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
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Winter is coming, and no amount of Narcan can solve this sickening public health crisis.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The shocking decision sends ripples through the Washington program and the college football transfer portal.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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There are some great twists and turns leading to a shocking but very satisfying ending.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellish. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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