infernal
Americanadjective
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hellish; fiendish; diabolical.
an infernal plot.
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extremely troublesome, annoying, etc.; atrocious.
an infernal nuisance.
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of, inhabiting, or befitting hell.
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Classical Mythology. of or relating to the underworld.
adjective
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of or relating to an underworld of the dead
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deserving hell or befitting its occupants; diabolic; fiendish
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informal irritating; confounded
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of infernal
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Late Latin infernālis, equivalent to Latin infern(us) “situated below, of the underworld” ( see inferior) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Things that come from Hell, or seem like they do, are infernal. If your father tells you to stop listening to that infernal music, he thinks your tunes are hellish on the ears. The word infernal comes from infernus, the Latin word for underground. A related word is inferno which means a really big fire, the kind that you might find in Hell. Although it might be used to describe something really hot or something evil, infernal is usually used when someone is complaining about something they really don't like such as the infernal dog next door that keeps barking.
Vocabulary lists containing infernal
A Christmas Carol
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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Term-ometer: Synonyms for "Hot"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While “Is God Is” makes no overt references to modern politics or social mores, Harris’ writing is in constant conversation with our uniquely infernal times.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
These long, winding, canal-like tunnels, big enough for boats, are nothing short of the subterranean answer to the city’s boulevards, with an unexpected, if somewhat infernal, majesty.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Her right hand, fingers curled, rests on the infernal machine, while her left hand is open on the windowsill.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2025
Its three suns move and align in such a way as to create regular but random apocalyptic events, from infernal heat to sudden ice ages to gravitational vortexes, that destroy the civilization again and again.
From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2024
We came upon a street that was a scene out of the infernal regions, each house afire, a lane where demonic citizens might walk, capes black, bonnets bulging, baskets filled with mewling roots.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
