shot to hell

Idioms

Worn out, ruined, as in This carpet is shot to hell, or My privacy's been shot to hell, what with all these reporters. This term alludes to being shot by gunfire. [Slang; late 1800s]

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.

"We thought we had enough to survive but our plans have been shot to hell by the effects of inflation," he says.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2023

And I hate the idea that he’ll get to move on from this while my equilibrium is shot to hell.

From Slate • May 5, 2020

I’ve never had a correspondent tell me that: ‘Get that shot. We really need that shot, to hell with the cost.’

From Washington Post • Mar. 21, 2018

"But then the scenario we have worked out has been shot to hell anyway."

From Time Magazine Archive

"He's got a lot to see. Discipline is bad. Artillery's shot to hell."

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023