hellhole

[ hel-hohl ]

/ ˈhɛlˌhoʊl /

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noun

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

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

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of hellhole

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

Words nearby hellhole

hell-for-leather, Hell Gate, hellgrammite, hell has no fury like a woman scorned, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, hellhole, hellhound, Hellinger, Hellin's law, hellion, hellish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hellhole in a sentence

By 1994, when Fear Street Part 1 takes place, Shadyside has been known for generations as a full-on hellhole.
Netflix's Fear Street Trilogy Is Generic Straight-to-VHS Horror With Nostalgic Flair|Judy Berman|July 7, 2021|Time
My parents retired to a total hellhole, not so much as a nearby playground, that requires a four-hour flight.
Carolyn Hax: The parents vs. the pontoon boat: A vacation conundrum|Carolyn Hax|April 15, 2021|Washington Post
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
How did you research that portrait of Aden, which seems like the most terrifying hellhole I can imagine?
A Novel That's the Best Medicine|Tina Brown|February 11, 2009|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