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
Paul Greengrass’s intense wildfire thriller presents the shocking, most true tale of a school-bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) who winds up having to drive a group of elementary-schoolers through the hellish flames of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in California history.
—
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
But the trip is going to be an extreme test of fortitude, fate, and faith, evidenced by Lionsgate's preview revealing obstacles including a hellish radiation storm, monster waves, meteors pummeling the Earth, and lethal bands of desperate survivors prowling the continent.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
While Borderland depicts a different reality, Hellbound turns the real world into a hellish realm.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Well, that hellish censorious atmosphere didn’t last long.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
But the trip is going to be an extreme test of fortitude, fate, and faith, evidenced by Lionsgate's preview revealing obstacles including a hellish radiation storm, monster waves, meteors pummeling the Earth, and lethal bands of desperate survivors prowling the continent.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
While Borderland depicts a different reality, Hellbound turns the real world into a hellish realm.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Well, that hellish censorious atmosphere didn’t last long.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellish
Adjective
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The New York Jets’ Sunday began with a horrible loss, as legendary center Nick Mangold passed away after a long battle with kidney disease.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Šilovs did, however, look horrible in the shootout.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hurricane Melissa’s devastation is the awful alchemy created by the unique combination of unstoppable gusts, seawater that is forced inland and deluge that pours out of the sky, all interacting with the landscape and human lives the storm found in its path.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
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These limits exist because of the history of the government’s awful record with race.—
Andrew Quinio,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This dreadful pseudo-action film stars Jessica Chastain as the titular hitwoman-with-a-conscience who is struggling with her past, with her family, with alcoholism, and so forth.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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Treinen, for example, was dreadful in the month of September, with five losses en route to a 2-7 regular season.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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When her rival, Poot’s Thea, arrives underdressed, Hedda forces her into a hideous frock with fussy bows and an ungainly skirt.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
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Here, see the real-life The Twits cast side-by-side with their hilariously hideous animated counterparts.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The injury was so sickening that the CBS broadcast only replayed it once, lest anyone with a weak stomach lose their lunch.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, the final moments of season 5 also saw the shocking death of Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) — or a convincing doppelgänger — outside the Arconia, teasing the mystery Mabel, Charles and Oliver.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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But the real draw here is Cut's elaborate torture device, which uses piano wire in inventive and shocking ways.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellish. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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