hell
hell BrE [hel] NAmE [hel] noun
1. singular (usually Hell) (used without a or the)in some religions, the place believed to be the home of ↑devils and where bad people go after death
2. uncountable, singular a very unpleasant experience or situation in which people suffer very much
• The last three months have been hell.
• He went through hell during the trial.
•Her parents made her life hell.
•Being totally alone is my idea of hell on earth.
3. uncountable a swear word that some people use when they are annoyed or surprised or to emphasize sth. Its use is offensive to some people.
• Oh hell, I've burned the pan.
• What the hell do you think you are doing?
•Go to hell!
•I can't really afford it, but, what the hell (= it doesn't matter), I'll get it anyway.
•He's as guilty as hell.
• (NAmE)‘Do you understand?’ ‘Hell, no. I don't.’
more at like a bat out of hell at ↑bat n., bug the hell/crap/shit out of sb at ↑bug v., not have/stand a cat in hell's chance at ↑cat, catch hell at ↑catch v., not have a hope (in hell) at ↑hope n., the devil/hell to pay at ↑pay v., raise hell at ↑raise v., the road to hell is paved with good intentions at ↑road, not have a snowball's chance in hell at ↑snowball n.
Idioms: ↑Hell's teeth ▪ ↑all hell broke loose ▪ ↑beat hell out of somebody ▪ ↑for the hell of it ▪ ↑from hell ▪ ↑get the hell out ▪ ↑give somebody hell ▪ ↑go to hell in a handbasket ▪ ↑hell and back ▪ ↑hell for leather ▪ ↑hell hath no fury ▪ hell of a … ▪ ↑hell or high water ▪ ↑hell with somebody ▪ helluva … ▪ ↑knock hell out of somebody ▪ ↑like hell ▪ ↑play hell with somebody ▪ scare/annoy the hell out of somebody
Word Origin:
Old English hel, hell, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hel and German Hölle, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to cover or hide’.
Thesaurus:
hell [hell] noun U, sing.
•Her father made her life hell.
nightmare • • horror • • ordeal • • trauma •
Opp: heaven
a/an absolute/living hell/nightmare
go through hell/an ordeal/a trauma
Example Bank:
•For someone who doesn't like heat, Florida would be hell on earth.
•He was terrified of going to hell when he died.
•Her boss is making her life hell.
•I'm never going to escape this hell.
•It really was the holiday from hell— it rained all the time, we all got colds, and we missed the plane home.
•It was sheer hell having to sit through hours of boring lectures!
•Lava poured out of the volcano, glowing like the fires of hell.
•She'd been going through her own personal hell over the last month.
•She's been going through hell with that bad tooth.
•She's the girlfriend from hell— I don't know know why he puts up with her.
•The last few weeks have been a living hell for the refugees.
•tormented souls in hell
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