hell

noun
UK: /hel/
US: /hel/

  1. A very unpleasant or terrible place or situation.

    1. This traffic is hell! [ ] [ ]
    2. My new job was absolute hell at first, but it's getting better. [ ] [ ]

  2. In some religions, the place where bad people go after they die.

    1. He believed he was going to hell. [ ] [ ]
    2. According to some religions, hell is a place of eternal punishment. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to express anger, surprise, or annoyance.

    1. What the hell are you doing? [ ] [ ]
    2. Oh hell, I forgot my keys again and now I'm locked out. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

agony misery torment
hell interjection

  1. Used to express anger, annoyance, or disagreement.

    1. Hell no, I'm not doing that! [ ] [ ]
    2. Hell, I don't care what they think about my choices in life. [ ] [ ]
hell transitive-verb

  1. To cause great trouble or distress to someone.

    1. Don't hell me, I'm doing my best. [ ] [ ]
    2. The constant criticism from his boss really helled him at work. [ ] [ ]
hell adverb

  1. Used in questions as a way of showing that you are annoyed or surprised.

    1. What the hell happened here? [ ] [ ]
    2. Where the hell do you think you are going dressed like that? [ ] [ ]
hell adjective

  1. Used to emphasize something negative or extreme.

    1. It's hell of job to do it. [ ] [ ]
    2. That was one hell of party last night, everybody enjoyed it. [ ] [ ]
hell phrasal-verb

  1. To behave badly or cause trouble.

    1. He's raising hell again. [ ] [ ]
    2. Those kids are always raising hell when their parents are away. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "hell" in English means: A very unpleasant or terrible place or situation., In some religions, the place where bad people go after they die., Used to express anger, surprise, or annoyance..

The phonetic transcription of "hell" is /hel/ in British English and /hel/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "hell": agony, misery, torment.

Example usage of "hell": "This traffic is hell!". More examples on the page.