brimstone
Americannoun
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an obsolete name for sulphur
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a common yellow butterfly, Gonepteryx rhamni , of N temperate regions of the Old World: family Pieridae
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archaic a scolding nagging woman; virago
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brimstone
before 1150; Middle English brinston, etc., late Old English brynstān. See burn 1, stone
Explanation
Brimstone is an old-fashioned word for sulfur, a chemical that's used to make matches, among other things. Brimstone is derived from the Old English brynstan and a root meaning "to burn." These days, few people refer to the non-metallic chemical element sulfur this way, but are more likely to use the word in the Biblical phrase "fire and brimstone." The burning smell of a lightning strike — and the association of lightning with divine punishment — produced the connection between burning sulfur, or brimstone, and God's wrath.
Vocabulary lists containing brimstone
Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 2
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Dealing with Dragons
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It Doesn't Take a Genius
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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.
Hell isn’t fire and brimstone after all; it’s wallpaper, beige carpet and drop ceilings.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
Pete Hegseth has been talking like a Marvel villain lately, threatening fire and brimstone with LLM-tinged evocations of doom.
From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026
In our modern dystopia, fire and brimstone have been replaced by ones and zeroes.
From Salon ● May 24, 2025
At times, this was a real struggle, before the sheer fire and brimstone of Luton's approach was doused amid the magnificent atmosphere inside 'The Kenny'.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2024
He could smell the hot breath of the beasts behind him, a stink of brimstone and corruption.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
