hellhole

[ hel-hohl ]

/ ˈhɛlˌhoʊl /

noun

a place totally lacking in comfort, cleanliness, order, etc.

a place or establishment noted for its illegal or immoral practices.

Nearby words

Origin of hellhole

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at hell, hole

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

Examples from the Web for hellhole

They'd tell you immediately that we need security around our ambassador in a hellhole like Benghazi.
Don't Blame Gay Men for Benghazi|David Frum|October 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“This place was a hellhole,” says Akram Mohamed Ramadan, a rebel fighter who came to visit the prison on Friday.
Return to Tripoli’s Notorious Jail|Babak Dehghanpisheh|August 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
From these headquarters, Maria Leon and her family had turned the neighborhood into a hellhole.
The Gangster Matriarch of L.A.|Christine Pelisek|September 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
At least I could comfort myself with the thought that the mom and kid got out of that hellhole alive.
My Disney Cruise from Hell|Laura Bennett|April 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST

The flag which floats over every hellhole of mine and mill and prison?
The Red Conspiracy|Joseph J. Mereto
But near the Mammoth Hot Springs is a hellhole that did attract me.
Wild Animals at Home|Ernest Thompson Seton

British Dictionary definitions for hellhole

hellhole

/ (ˈhɛlˌhəʊl) /

noun

an unpleasant or evil place

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 hellhole

hellhole

"the pit of Hell," late 14c., from hell + hole (n.). Meaning "unpleasant place" is from 1866.