inferno
noun
hell; the infernal regions.
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inferno
American
[in-fur-noh, een-fer-naw]
/ ɪnˈfɜr noʊ, inˈfɛr nɔ /
noun
-
infernos
plural
inferno
British
/ ɪnˈfɜːnəʊ /
noun
-
(sometimes capital) hell; the infernal region
-
any place or state resembling hell, esp a conflagration
Inferno
Cultural
Discover More
By extension, an “inferno” is a hot and terrible place or condition.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of inferno
1825–35; < Italian < Late Latin infernus hell, noun use of Latin infernus; see infernal
Explanation
An inferno is a huge fire that's difficult to control, like an inferno that burns down a whole city block. Inferno also can describe any horrible place where people suffer. The Latin word infernus means "of the lower regions." Using inferno to mean "hell" is credited to medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Dante's epic poem the Divine Comedy contains one part titled The Inferno, which tells of a journey through the nine circles of hell full of torture, pain, and imagery of red — flames, boiling blood, and so on.
Vocabulary lists containing inferno
Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
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This Week in Words: April 13–19, 2019
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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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.
See Examples For:
When they start shooting a movie together, they begin to understand their connection to this ancient evil, and their place in a cyclical inferno wrought by absent parents and bad weather.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
He described the scene as an "inferno" as the blaze "ripped through" the properties.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Early Wednesday, fire crews prioritized protecting structures as the inferno charged toward Highway 1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
It was around 1:40 a.m. on a summer Saturday last month when Alcaraz’s cell ignited into an inferno.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
They had no tools to stanch a fire, and no plan at all for what they might do to put out a chemical inferno.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Dante Alighieri's Inferno may contain more than religious symbolism and poetic imagination.
From Science Daily ● May 11, 2026
The roughly 15,000-square-foot home was used as a filming location in the Oscar-winning movie ‘The Towering Inferno.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
He snagged roles in "Roots," "The Klansman" and "The Towering Inferno."
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2024
Supposedly the inspiration for Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, the land here is a web of natural cracks in the rock that let a mix of steam and gasses reach the surface.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 2, 2024
We read Dante’s Inferno in English class, and I always thought it was odd that the very pit of hell is ice—the absence of all hope and light and love.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Gone are the days of not decontaminating equipment, leaving the ashes on helmets and jackets, in order to boast of past infernos.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
But she wanted more focus on accountability for utilities that spark the infernos, such as bans on stock buybacks, and balked at limiting damages for survivors without more public debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Across Spain, San Juan welcomes summer with infernos and midnight rituals.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Greek firefighters faced another day of battling flames in high-risk conditions for new ignitions on Friday as France and Spain hoped for reprieve from massive infernos that blackened swathes of terrain.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
The volume of the infernos roar also died down enough that he could hear the crunching sounds of his footsteps again.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
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.
