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hell

1 American  
[hel] / hɛl /

noun

  1. the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits; Gehenna or Tartarus.

    Synonyms:
    inferno
    Antonyms:
    paradise , heaven

  2. any place or state of torment or misery.

    They made their father's life a hell on earth.
    Synonyms:
    torture , agony , anguish
    Antonyms:
    paradise , heaven

  3. something that causes torment or misery.

    Having that cut stitched without anesthesia was hell.

  4. the powers of evil.

  5. the abode of the dead; Sheol or Hades.

  6. extreme disorder or confusion; chaos.

    The children let both dogs into the house, and all hell broke loose.

  7. Informal.  something remarkable of its kind (usually used in the phrase a hell of a orone hell of a ).

    That was one hell of a great game.

  8. a receptacle into which a tailor throws scraps.

  9. Also called hellbox.  Printing.  a box into which a printer throws discarded type.

  10. the utterance of “hell” in swearing or for emphasis.

  11. Informal.  the hell,

    1. (used as an intensifier to express surprise, anger, impatience, etc., often in the form of a question beginning with a WH-word).

      Why the hell can't the trains run on time?

      How the hell am I supposed to finish this by tomorrow?

    2. (used sarcastically or ironically to express the opposite of what is being stated).

      Are you listening to me? The hell you are!

interjection

  1. (used to express surprise, irritation, disgust, etc.)

verb phrase

  1. hell around  to live or act in a wild or dissolute manner.

    All they cared about was drinking and helling around.

idioms

  1. for the hell of it,

    1. to see what will happen; for adventure, fun, excitement, etc..

      For the hell of it, let's just get on the next bus and see where it takes us.

    2. with no particular purpose; for no special reason.

      I called him up for the hell of it, and he offered me a job.

  2. raise hell,

    1. to indulge in wild celebration.

    2. to create an uproar; object violently to.

      She'll raise hell when she sees what your rabbit has done to her garden.

  3. be hell on,

    1. to be unpleasant to or painful for.

      These shoes are hell on my poor feet.

    2. to be harmful to.

      These country roads are hell on tires.

  4. hell on wheels,  extremely demanding, fast-paced, aggressive, effective, or the like.

    The new job is hell on wheels. Our sales staff is hell on wheels when it comes to getting the most out of every account.

  5. get / catch hell,  to suffer a scolding; receive a harsh reprimand.

    We'll get hell from our parents if we stay out late again.

  6. play hell with,  to deal recklessly with; bring injury or harm to.

    Snowstorms played hell with the flow of city traffic.

  7. give someone hell,  to reprimand or reproach severely.

  8. the / to hell with,  (used to express dismissal, rejection, contempt, disappointment, or the like).

    If we have to walk five miles to see the view, the hell with it! He wouldn't even speak to me, so to hell with him!

  9. like hell,

    1. with great speed, effort, intensity, etc..

      We ran like hell to get home before the storm. She tried like hell to get him to change his mind.

    2. (used sarcastically or ironically to express the opposite of what is being stated).

      He says the motor will never break down? Like hell it won't!

  10. what the hell,  (used to express lack of concern or worry, indifference, abandonment, surrender, etc.).

    As long as you're borrowing $100, what the hell, borrow $200.

  11. go to hell in a handbasket,  handbasket.

he'll 2 American  
[heel, eel, hil, il] / hil, il, hɪl, ɪl /

  1. contraction of he will.

hell 1 British  
/ hɛl /

noun

  1. Christianity (sometimes capital)

    1. the place or state of eternal punishment of the wicked after death, with Satan as its ruler

    2. forces of evil regarded as residing there

  2. (sometimes capital) (in various religions and cultures) the abode of the spirits of the dead See also Hel Hades Sheol

  3. pain, extreme difficulty, etc

  4. informal  a cause of such difficulty or suffering

    war is hell

  5. high spirits or mischievousness

    there's hell in that boy

  6. a box used by a tailor for discarded material

  7. rare  a gambling house, booth, etc

  8. (intensifier)

    tired as hell

  9. informal  for the fun of it

  10. informal  denoting a person or thing that is particularly bad or alarming

    neighbour from hell

    hangover from hell

  11. informal

    1. to give someone a severe reprimand or punishment

    2. to be a source of annoyance or torment to someone

  12. informal  (intensifier)

    a hell of a good performance

  13. at great speed

  14. informal  whatever difficulties may arise

  15. informal  serious consequences, as of a foolish action

  16. informal

    1. (adverb) (intensifier)

      he works like hell

    2. an expression of strong disagreement with a previous statement, request, order, etc

  17. informal  to throw into confusion and disorder; disrupt

    1. to create a noisy disturbance, as in fun

    2. to react strongly and unfavourably

  19. informal

    the hell I will

    1. (intensifier) used in such phrases as what the hell, who the hell, etc

    2. an expression of strong disagreement or disfavour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. informal  an exclamation of anger, annoyance, surprise, etc (Also in exclamations such as hell's bells, hell's teeth, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
he'll 2 British  
/ ɪl, hɪl, iːl, hiːl /

contraction

  1. he will or he shall

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
hell Cultural  

  1. The dwelling place of Satan, devils, and wicked souls condemned to eternal punishment after death; a place of pain and torment. (Compare heaven.)

hell More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing hell

Usage

See contraction.

Other Word Forms

  • hell-like adjective

Etymology

Origin of hell

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English hel(l); cognate with Old High German hell(i)a ( German Hölle ), Old Norse hel, Gothic halja; akin to Old English helan “to cover, hide,” and to hull 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A native of Pennsylvania, he’ll also have to establish roots in new territory after having spent his entire life on the East Coast.

From Los Angeles Times

He’ll need it—for on the current trajectory, Russian troops will continue to proceed at a glacial place.

From The Wall Street Journal

When he does go to a pub he'll opt for a zero-alcohol drink.

From BBC

He'll also make the case the Budget will help families by easing energy bills and freezing rail fares.

From BBC

"He's such a talented player, at the highest level. He also has a form of authority over our gameplan. I think he'll get back his best quickly."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.