inferno

American  

[in-fur-noh, een-fer-naw] / ɪnˈfɜr noʊ, inˈfɛr nɔ /

noun

plural

infernos

1. hell; the infernal regions.

2. a place or region that resembles hell.

   The ironworks was an inferno of molten steel and half-naked bodies.

   Synonyms:

   oven, hellhole, furnace

3. (initial capital letter, italics) the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy, depicting hell and the suffering of the damned.

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inferno British  

/ ɪnˈfɜːnəʊ /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) hell; the infernal region

2. any place or state resembling hell, esp a conflagration

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Inferno Cultural  

1. The first section of The Divine Comedy, by Dante. Inferno is the Italian word for “hell.”

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Discover More

By extension, an “inferno” is a hot and terrible place or condition.

Etymology

Origin of inferno

1825–35; < Italian < Late Latin infernus hell, noun use of Latin infernus; infernal

Example Sentences

The inferno swept through seven of the estate's eight towers, which were under renovation and wrapped in bamboo scaffolding, netting and foam boards -- materials that may have accelerated the spread of flames.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

And if a spark did catch, it could quickly mirror the inferno that was engulfing Pacific Palisades, or worse.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

The fire at the shop in Union Street broke out at about 15:45 on Sunday and led to the entire building being engulfed in an inferno that caused its partial collapse.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

But the usual party atmosphere surrounding the races has given way to a more muted event and sombre tributes, exactly a month after the January 1 inferno at the bar Le Constellation.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

They were spooked so badly that Akira knew there was no way she could steer either of them calmly through the inferno.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• purgatory