Hades

American  

[hey-deez] / ˈheɪ diz /

noun

1. Classical Mythology.

   1. the underworld inhabited by departed souls.

   2. the god ruling the underworld; Pluto.

2. (in the Revised Version of the New Testament) the abode or state of the dead.

3. (often lowercase) hell.

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Hades British  

/ ˈheɪdɪən, ˈheɪdiːz, heɪˈdiːən /

noun

1. Greek myth

   1. the underworld abode of the souls of the dead

   2. Pluto, the god of the underworld, brother of Zeus and husband of Persephone

2. New Testament the abode or state of the dead

3. informal (often not capital) hell

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Hades Cultural  

1. The Greek and Roman god of the underworld and the ruler of the dead. Also called Dis. The underworld itself was also known to the Greeks as Hades.

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Discover More

The Greek and Roman underworld later became associated with the hell of Christianity, as in the expression “hot as Hades.”

Other Word Forms

• Hadean adjective

Etymology

Origin of Hades

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

Going up against the blockbusters are Game of the Year nominees Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2 - both sequels to massive hits made by small teams.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

Or what in Hades will happen to the surviving characters?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025

It depicts Dionysus journeying to Hades to retrieve a poet who can help Athens in crisis, culminating in a contest between Aeschylus and Euripides.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2025

Hades was officially released in late 2020, during the heights of the coronavirus pandemic.

From New York Times • May 14, 2024

Three figures appeared— Hades and Persephone on their thrones, and an older woman standing between them.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• inferno
• misery
• nightmare
• purgatory