Gehenna

[ gi-hen-uh ]
/ gɪˈhɛn ə /

noun

the valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, where propitiatory sacrifices were made to Moloch. II Kings 23:10.
hell(def 1).
any place of extreme torment or suffering.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of Gehenna

< Late Latin < Greek Géenna < Hebrew Gē-Hinnōm hell, short for gē ben Hinnōm literally, valley of the son of Hinnom
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to gehenna

limbo, nightmare, purgatory, inferno, misery, abyss, ruin, condemnation, suffering, damnation, affliction, underworld, pit, punishment, Hades, perdition, ordeal, difficulty, agony, trial

Example sentences from the Web for gehenna

British Dictionary definitions for gehenna

Gehenna
/ (ɡɪˈhɛnə) /

noun

Old Testament the valley below Jerusalem, where children were sacrificed and where idolatry was practised (II Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 19:6) and where later offal and refuse were slowly burned
New Testament Judaism a place where the wicked are punished after death
a place or state of pain and torment

Word Origin for Gehenna

C16: from Late Latin, from Greek Geena, from Hebrew Gê' Hinnōm, literally: valley of Hinnom, symbolic of hell
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