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 titular vampire gang has formed a band, and when its members start to shred, the stage sinks down to create a mosh pit—a hellish underworld into which victims later drop.
—
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
In all, Amazon’s new feature is a hellish experiment in engineering just about the most disingenuous content imaginable.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026
Its parking lot at the corner of Western Avenue and 8th Street in Koreatown equally hellish.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Agnes sits in a dark room where Commander Judd asks her questions as a bunch of men watch, their faces stacked on a big screen, like Hollywood Squares but hellish.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
In all, Amazon’s new feature is a hellish experiment in engineering just about the most disingenuous content imaginable.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026
Its parking lot at the corner of Western Avenue and 8th Street in Koreatown equally hellish.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Agnes sits in a dark room where Commander Judd asks her questions as a bunch of men watch, their faces stacked on a big screen, like Hollywood Squares but hellish.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellish
Adjective
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His slugging percentage is horrible.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
-
Some of it had to do with horrible tragedy, some because hopefuls could not see the math working out for them.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some predict ‘awful consequences’ However, the US has its own specialized network of hospitals that are highly equipped to treat Ebola patients that some experts say would be much better utilized.—
Jamie Gumbrecht,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
-
Lean says the experience had an awful effect on him, filling him with shame and a reluctance to direct again.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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The old record of 51 degrees occurred five years ago during that dreadful Memorial Day weekend deluge.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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Looked great for 60 minutes on his second Villa debut in February, but has been dreadful for them ever since.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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This used to be a death knell—the shoes that fit the bill were hideous until a few years ago.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
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Any idea on when this hideous barcode-design strip will be released?—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The concept of this many women vying for West is somewhat sickening to me.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
-
So united and powerful were these Indigenous people that some of their enemies started to get desperate, that whiff of anxiety taking on a sickening stench.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
But, following a string of disappointing national-team performances, including failing to qualify for the 1958 World Cup and shocking losses to both the Soviet Union and North Korea at the 1966 edition, the league reinstated the ban.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
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Somebody Somewhere — a naturalistic, moving three-season performance that culminated in a shocking Emmy win for best supporting actor last year.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellish. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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