hellish

adjective

hell·​ish ˈhe-lish How to pronounce hellish (audio)
Synonyms of hellishnext
: of, resembling, or befitting hell
broadly : terrible
hellishly adverb
hellishness noun

Examples of hellish in a Sentence

We've been having hellish weather lately. The battlefield was a hellish scene of death and destruction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But as the episode closes out on another flash-forward to Joe’s captivity, we’re reminded that the plan of escape from this hellish timeline only throws her deeper into its clutches. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026 The comedy of errors that follows as Ina attempts to solve the nation’s problems, from traffic congestion to energy crisis, doubles as a critique of the despotic regime and the tumult of living in such hellish times. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 Even with the hellish conditions bearing down around them, the engineers were able to find moments of levity. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026 In the new film, the Necronomicon — aka the Book of the Dead — creates a hellish nightmare for a widow, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), and her in-laws following the tragic death of Alice’s husband, Will (George Pullar). — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hellish

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hellish was circa 1530

Rhymes for hellish

See All Rhymes for hellish

Browse Nearby Words

hellion
hellish
hellkite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellish. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hellish

adjective
hell·​ish ˈhel-ish How to pronounce hellish (audio)
: of, resembling, or suitable to hell : infernal
hellishly adverb
hellishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hellish

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hellish

Nglish: Translation of hellish for Spanish Speakers

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