noun

hellhole

HEHL-hohl

noun

A place marked by extreme misery, squalor, or unpleasantness.

"The old prison was described by inmates as a hellhole."

"This traffic-choked city has become an absolute hellhole in summer."

How to Use Hellhole

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA truly miserable or unpleasant place to be.

When to use it

Informal; used for emphasis rather than in neutral, formal descriptions.

hellholes plural

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The old prison was described by inmates as a _____.

A straightforward compound of "hell" and "hole," first recorded in the 1800s.

ole hole vole mole sole pole cole dole role stole whole Poole