hell

[ hel ]

/ hɛl /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hell ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits; Gehenna or Tartarus.

any place or state of torment or misery: They made their father's life a hell on earth.

something that causes torment or misery: Having that cut stitched without anesthesia was hell.

the powers of evil.

the abode of the dead; Sheol or Hades.

extreme disorder or confusion; chaos: The children let both dogs into the house, and all hell broke loose.

Informal. something remarkable of its kind (usually used in the phrase a hell of a or one hell of a): That was one hell of a great game.

a receptacle into which a tailor throws scraps.

Also called hellbox. Printing. a box into which a printer throws discarded type.

the utterance of “hell” in swearing or for emphasis.

the hell, Informal.

(used as an intensifier to express surprise, anger, impatience, etc., often in the form of a question beginning with a WH-word): Why the hell can't the trains run on time? How the hell am I supposed to finish this by tomorrow?
(used sarcastically or ironically to express the opposite of what is being stated): Are you listening to me? The hell you are!

interjection

(used to express surprise, irritation, disgust, etc.)

Verb Phrases

hell around, Slang. to live or act in a wild or dissolute manner: All they cared about was drinking and helling around.

Nearby words

Idioms

be hell on, Slang.

to be unpleasant to or painful for: These shoes are hell on my poor feet.
to be harmful to: These country roads are hell on tires.

for the hell of it, Informal.

to see what will happen; for adventure, fun, excitement, etc.: For the hell of it, let's just get on the next bus and see where it takes us.
with no particular purpose; for no special reason: I called him up for the hell of it, and he offered me a job.

get/catch hell, Slang. to suffer a scolding; receive a harsh reprimand: We'll get hell from our parents if we stay out late again.

give someone hell, Informal. to reprimand or reproach severely.

go to hell in a handbasket, Informal. handbasket(def 2).

hell on wheels, Slang. extremely demanding, fast-paced, aggressive, effective, or the like: The new job is hell on wheels. Our sales staff is hell on wheels when it comes to getting the most out of every account.

like hell, Informal.

with great speed, effort, intensity, etc.: We ran like hell to get home before the storm. She tried like hell to get him to change his mind.
(used sarcastically or ironically to express the opposite of what is being stated): He says the motor will never break down? Like hell it won't!

play hell with, Slang. to deal recklessly with; bring injury or harm to: Snowstorms played hell with the flow of city traffic.

raise hell, Slang.

to indulge in wild celebration.
to create an uproar; object violently to: She'll raise hell when she sees what your rabbit has done to her garden.

the/to hell with, Informal. (used to express dismissal, rejection, contempt, disappointment, or the like): If we have to walk five miles to see the view, the hell with it! He wouldn't even speak to me, so to hell with him!

what the hell, Informal. (used to express lack of concern or worry, indifference, abandonment, surrender, etc.): As long as you're borrowing $100, what the hell, borrow $200.

Origin of hell

before 900; Middle English, Old English hel(l); cognate with Old High German hell(i)a (German Hölle), Old Norse hel, Gothic halja; akin to Old English helan to cover, hide, and to hull²

SYNONYMS FOR hell

1. inferno. 2. anguish, agony, torture.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hell ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR hell

1, 2. heaven, paradise.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR hell ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formshell-like, adjective

he'll

[ heel; unstressed eel, hil, il ]

/ hil; unstressed il, hɪl, ɪl /

contraction of he will.

Can be confusedheal heel he'll

Usage note

See contraction.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hell

Hell, he says Koenig never referred to it as Serial or even as a podcast.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The revelation that, at age 42, Ben Affleck has one hell of an ass.
Year of the Butt: How the Booty Changed the World in 2014|Kevin Fallon|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How the hell does somebody show up at a David Duke organized event in 2002 and claim ignorance?
No. 3 Republican Admits Talking to White Supremacist Conference|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hell, one of the Dixie Chicks even offered to Uber her balls over to the company.
Sony: Hollywood’s Most Subversive Studio Under Attack|Marlow Stern|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And, the Chilbosan would make a hell of a comedy movie; “Fawlty Towers” meets the “Great Dictator.”
Inside the ‘Surprisingly Great’ North Korean Hacker Hotel|Michael Daly|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He glared at the distant river as a man in hell glares through the opened grille.
A Witch Shall Be Born|Robert E. Howard
Anyway, hell have something to talk about for the rest of his life, said George Glenn.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron|W. Crispin Sheppard
They reminded them perpetually of "the casting of the soul into hell and hell-torments."
The History of Antiquity, Volume IV (of 6)|Max Duncker
They all died in time, and everybody knows that Melusina became a kitchen wench in Hell.
The Story Of The Duchess Of Cicogne And Of Monsieur De Boulingrin|Anatole France
The truth is, that Moses was mistaken, and upon that mistake the christians located their heaven and their hell.
Mistakes of Moses|Robert G. Ingersoll

British Dictionary definitions for hell

hell

/ (hɛl) /

noun

Christianity (sometimes capital)

the place or state of eternal punishment of the wicked after death, with Satan as its ruler
forces of evil regarded as residing there

(sometimes capital) (in various religions and cultures) the abode of the spirits of the deadSee also Hel, Hades, Sheol

pain, extreme difficulty, etc

informal a cause of such difficulty or sufferingwar is hell

US and Canadian high spirits or mischievousnessthere's hell in that boy

a box used by a tailor for discarded material

rare a gambling house, booth, etc

as hell (intensifier)tired as hell

for the hell of it informal for the fun of it

from hell informal denoting a person or thing that is particularly bad or alarmingneighbour from hell; hangover from hell

give someone hell informal

to give someone a severe reprimand or punishment
to be a source of annoyance or torment to someone

hell of a or helluva informal (intensifier)a hell of a good performance

hell for leather at great speed

hell or high water or come hell or high water informal whatever difficulties may arise

hell to pay informal serious consequences, as of a foolish action

like hell informal

(adverb)(intensifier)he works like hell
an expression of strong disagreement with a previous statement, request, order, etc

play hell with or play merry hell with informal to throw into confusion and disorder; disrupt

raise hell

to create a noisy disturbance, as in fun
to react strongly and unfavourably

the hell informal

(intensifier) used in such phrases as what the hell, who the hell, etc
an expression of strong disagreement or disfavour

the hell I will

interjection

informal an exclamation of anger, annoyance, surprise, etc (Also in exclamations such as hell's bells, hell's teeth, etc)

Word Origin for hell

Old English hell; related to helan to cover, Old Norse hel, Gothic halja hell, Old High German hella

he'll

/ (hiːl, unstressed iːl, hɪl, ɪl) /

contraction of

he will or he shall

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

Word Origin and History for hell

hell

Old English hel, helle, "nether world, abode of the dead, infernal regions," from Proto-Germanic *haljo "the underworld" (cf. Old Frisian helle, Dutch hel, Old Norse hel, German Hölle, Gothic halja "hell") "the underworld," literally "concealed place" (cf. Old Norse hellir "cave, cavern"), from PIE *kel- "to cover, conceal, save" (see cell).

The English word may be in part from Old Norse Hel (from Proto-Germanic *halija "one who covers up or hides something"), in Norse mythology the name of Loki's daughter, who rules over the evil dead in Niflheim, the lowest of all worlds (nifl "mist"). Transfer of a pagan concept and word to a Christian idiom. In Middle English, also of the Limbus Patrum, place where the Patriarchs, Prophets, etc. awaited the Atonement. Used in the KJV for Old Testament Hebrew Sheol and New Testament Greek Hades, Gehenna. Used figuratively for "state of misery, any bad experience" since at least late 14c. As an expression of disgust, etc., first recorded 1670s.

Expression Hell in a handbasket is attested by 1867, in a context implying use from a few years before, and the notion of going to Heaven in a handbasket is from 1853, with a sense of "easy passage" to the destination. Hell or high water (1874) apparently is a variation of between the devil and the deep blue sea. To wish someone would go to hell is in Shakespeare ("Merchant of Venice"). Snowball's chance in hell "no chance" is from 1931; till hell freezes over "never" is from 1832. To ride hell for leather is from 1889, originally with reference to riding on horseback. Hell on wheels is said to be from 1843 in DAS; popularity dates from 1869 in reference to the temporary workers' towns along the U.S. transcontinental railroad and their vices.

Culture definitions for hell

hell

The dwelling place of Satan, devils, and wicked souls condemned to eternal punishment after death; a place of pain and torment. (Compare heaven.)

Idioms and Phrases with hell

hell

In addition to the idioms beginning with hell

hell has no fury like a woman scorned
hell of a
hell on wheels
hell or high water, come
hell to pay

also see:

(all hell) break loose
devil (hell) of a
for the hell of it
give someone hell
go to hell
hot as hell
like a bat out of hell
like hell
mad as a hornet (hell)
not a hope in hell
raise Cain (hell)
road to hell is paved with good intentions
shot to hell
snowball's chance in hell
till hell freezes over
to hell and gone
to hell with
what the hell

hell

noun

interjection

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of hell

he'll

Usage note

Examples from the Web for hell

hell

noun

interjection

Word Origin for hell

he'll

contraction of

hell

hell

hell