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

Normally the famous singer is more seriously engaged in Hades and the Valley of the Blessed.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Other games up for the top prize include blockbusters Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2, indie games Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II, and indie adventure Blue Prince.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 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

Nico di Angelo came into Olympus to a hero’s welcome, his father right behind him, despite the feet that Hades was only supposed to visit Olympus on winter solstice.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• inferno
• misery
• nightmare
• purgatory