noun

hell

hehl

noun

In many religions, the place of punishment for the wicked after death.

"The sermon described hell as a place of eternal fire."

A situation or experience of extreme suffering or difficulty.

"The last week at work was absolute hell."

"Commuting through that traffic every day is hell."

intj

Used to express anger, frustration, or strong emphasis.

""What the hell happened here?" he shouted."

How to Use Hell

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe mythical place of punishment after death, or loosely, any terrible or painful situation — also used as a swear word for emphasis.

When to use it

As profanity, "hell" is mild but still considered informal and inappropriate in formal writing.

Common pairings

go through hell hell on earth what the hell raise hell

helled past tense, helled past tense, helled past tense, hells plural, hells singular, hells singular, hells singular

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The sermon described _____ as a place of eternal fire.

From Old English hell, going back to a Germanic root meaning "to cover" — the underworld imagined as a hidden, covered-over place.

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