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hell
1[ hel ]
noun
- the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits; Gehenna or Tartarus.
Synonyms: inferno
- any place or state of torment or misery:
They made their father's life a hell on earth.
- something that causes torment or misery:
Having that cut stitched without anesthesia was hell.
- the powers of evil.
- the abode of the dead; Sheol or Hades.
- extreme disorder or confusion; chaos:
The children let both dogs into the house, and all hell broke loose.
- Informal. something remarkable of its kind (usually used in the phrase a hell of a or one hell of a ):
That was one hell of a great game.
- a receptacle into which a tailor throws scraps.
- Also called hellbox. Printing. a box into which a printer throws discarded type.
- the utterance of “hell” in swearing or for emphasis.
- the hell, Informal.
- (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?
- (used sarcastically or ironically to express the opposite of what is being stated):
Are you listening to me? The hell you are!
interjection
- (used to express surprise, irritation, disgust, etc.)
verb phrase
- Slang. to live or act in a wild or dissolute manner:
All they cared about was drinking and helling around.
he'll
2[ heel; unstressed eel, hil, il ]
- contraction of he will.
hell
1/ hɛl /
noun
- Christianity sometimes capital
- the place or state of eternal punishment of the wicked after death, with Satan as its ruler
- forces of evil regarded as residing there
- pain, extreme difficulty, etc
- informal.a cause of such difficulty or suffering
war is hell
- high spirits or mischievousness
there's hell in that boy
- a box used by a tailor for discarded material
- rare.a gambling house, booth, etc
- as hell(intensifier)
tired as hell
- for the hell of it informal.for the fun of it
- from hell informal.denoting a person or thing that is particularly bad or alarming
hangover from hell
neighbour from hell
- give someone hell informal.
- to give someone a severe reprimand or punishment
- to be a source of annoyance or torment to someone
- hell of a or helluva informal.(intensifier)
a hell of a good performance
- hell for leatherat great speed
- hell or high water or come hell or high water informal.whatever difficulties may arise
- hell to pay informal.serious consequences, as of a foolish action
- like hell informal.
- adverb (intensifier)
he works like hell
- an expression of strong disagreement with a previous statement, request, order, etc
- play hell with or play merry hell with informal.to throw into confusion and disorder; disrupt
- raise hell
- to create a noisy disturbance, as in fun
- to react strongly and unfavourably
- the hell informal.
the hell I will
- (intensifier) used in such phrases as what the hell, who the hell, etc
- an expression of strong disagreement or disfavour
interjection
- informal.an exclamation of anger, annoyance, surprise, etc (Also in exclamations such as hell's bells, hell's teeth, etc)
he'll
2/ ɪl; hɪl; iːl; hiːl /
contraction of
- he will or he shall
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Usage Note
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Other Words From
- hell-like adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of hell1
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Idioms and Phrases
- be hell on, Slang.
- to be unpleasant to or painful for:
These shoes are hell on my poor feet.
- to be harmful to:
These country roads are hell on tires.
- for the hell of it, Informal.
- 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.
- with no particular purpose; for no special reason:
I called him up for the hell of it, and he offered me a job.
- get / catch hell, Slang. to suffer a scolding; receive a harsh reprimand:
We'll get hell from our parents if we stay out late again.
- give someone hell, Informal. to reprimand or reproach severely.
- go to hell in a handbasket, Informal. handbasket ( def 2 ).
- hell on wheels, Slang. 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.
- like hell, Informal.
- 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.
- (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!
- play hell with, Slang. to deal recklessly with; bring injury or harm to:
Snowstorms played hell with the flow of city traffic.
- raise hell, Slang.
- to indulge in wild celebration.
- to create an uproar; object violently to:
She'll raise hell when she sees what your rabbit has done to her garden.
- the / to hell with, Informal. (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!
- what the hell, Informal. (used to express lack of concern or worry, indifference, abandonment, surrender, etc.):
As long as you're borrowing $100, what the hell, borrow $200.
More idioms and phrases containing hell
- (all hell) break loose
- devil (hell) of a
- for the hell of it
- give someone hell
- go to hell
- hot as hell
- like a bat out of hell
- like hell
- mad as a hornet (hell)
- not a hope in hell
- raise Cain (hell)
- road to hell is paved with good intentions
- shot to hell
- snowball's chance in hell
- till hell freezes over
- to hell and gone
- to hell with
- what the hell
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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.
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