hellish

American  

[hel-ish] / ˈhɛl ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, like, or suitable to hell; infernal; vile; horrible.

   It was a hellish war.

2. miserable; abominable; execrable.

   We had a hellish time getting through traffic.

3. devilishly bad.

   The child's behavior was hellish most of the day.

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hellish British  

/ ˈhɛlɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or resembling hell

2. wicked; cruel

3. informal very difficult or unpleasant

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adverb

1. informal (intensifier)

   a hellish good idea

Other Word Forms

• hellishly adverb
• hellishness noun

Etymology

Origin of hellish

First recorded in 1520–30; hell + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Since Japan depends on energy imports, it faces a “hellish” cycle where fiscal spending is used to offset fuel costs, risking further yen depreciation, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was a huge relief to become functional in this hellish new world, but I was never confident and always made sure to stay close to the others.

From Literature

Finding the beauty in that hellish croak — something that Josh Groban was able to do in the last Broadway revival — can prove exceptionally difficult.

From Los Angeles Times

So this time around, after a hellish year for myself, and frankly, the entire country, I decided Vitamin D was a requirement: I needed to go somewhere warm.

From Salon

Those who survived the hellish conditions within these forts were then forced onto ships bound for the Americas.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• horrible
• infernal
• terrible