hell
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hell
(hĕl)n.
1. Christianity
a. often Hell The place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death, often imagined as being presided over by Satan and his devils.
b. A state of separation from God; exclusion from God's presence.
2. The abode of the dead in any of various religious traditions, such as the Hebrew Sheol or the Greek Hades; the underworld.
3.
a. A situation or place of evil, misery, discord, or destruction: "War is hell" (William Tecumseh Sherman).
b. An extremely difficult experience; torment or anguish: went through hell on the job.
4.
a. The spirits in hell or the powers of evil: All hell could not stop him.
b. Informal One that causes trouble, agony, or annoyance: The boss is hell when a job is poorly done.
5. A sharp scolding: gave the student hell for cheating.
6.
a. A tailor's receptacle for discarded material.
b. Printing A hellbox.
7. Informal
a. An outstanding or noteworthy example: You are one hell of a good cook.
b. Used as an intensive: How the hell should I know?
c. Used for intensive effect in idioms such as beat the hell out of (someone) for beat (someone) very badly.
8. Archaic A gambling house.
intr.v. helled, hell·ing, hells Informal
To behave riotously; carouse: out all night helling around.
interj.
Idioms: Used to express anger, disgust, or impatience.
for the hell of it
For no particular reason; on a whim: walked home by the old school for the hell of it.
hell on Informal
1. Damaging or destructive to: Driving in a hilly town is hell on the brakes.
2. Unpleasant to or painful for.
hell or/and high water
Troubles or difficulties of whatever magnitude: We're staying, come hell or high water.
hell to pay
Great trouble: If we're wrong, there'll be hell to pay.
like hell Informal
1. Used as an intensive: He ran like hell to catch the bus.
2. Used to express strong contradiction or refusal: He says he's going along with us—Like hell he is!
to hell and gone
1. A long distance away: drove to hell and gone and still couldn't find a diner.
2. Far and wide: friends scattered to hell and gone.
3. Into the next world: The bomb blew the truck to hell and gone.
to hell with
Used to express contempt for or dismissal of someone or something.
Word History: When the Anglo-Saxons became Christian in early medieval times, the Old English word hel was used to translate the Latin word īnfernus, "the lower region, hell," and designate the fiery place of eternal punishment for the damned. But what did hel designate before the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons? We can discover some indication of the original pagan meaning of hel by examining its Old Norse equivalent, hel. The medieval Scandinavians and Icelanders were converted from paganism much later than the Anglo-Saxons, and they preserved a good deal of pagan poetry revealing the ancient Scandinavian vision of the afterworld. The medieval Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson, a Christian, also paints a vivid picture of hel for us in his accounts of Norse myth (although his description may have been influenced by his own Christian conception of hell). The Old Norse hel is the abode of oathbreakers, other evil persons, and those unlucky enough to have died of old age or sickness rather than in the glory of the battlefield. Unlike the typical Christian conception of Hell, the Old Norse hel is very cold. It contrasts sharply with Valhalla, the hall in Asgard where heroes slain in battle carouse with the gods after death. In Old Norse, Hel is also the name of the goddess or giantess who presides in hel. She is the daughter of the god Loki and sister of the enormous wolf that will attack the gods at the end of the world. One half of Hel's body is blue-black, while the other is white. The Indo-European root behind Old English hel and Old Norse hel, as well as their Germanic relatives like German Hölle, "hell," is *kel-, "to cover, conceal." In origin, hell is thus the "concealed place." The root *kel-, also gives us other words for things that cover, conceal, or contain, such as hall, hole, hollow, helmet, and even Valhalla, from Old Norse Valhöll, literally the "Hall (höll) of the Slain (Valr)."
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
hell
(hɛl)n
1. (Theology) Christianity (sometimes capital)
a. the place or state of eternal punishment of the wicked after death, with Satan as its ruler
b. forces of evil regarded as residing there
2. (Other Non-Christian Religions) (sometimes capital) (in various religions and cultures) the abode of the spirits of the dead. See also Hel, Hades, Sheol
3. pain, extreme difficulty, etc
4. informal a cause of such difficulty or suffering: war is hell.
5. US and Canadian high spirits or mischievousness: there's hell in that boy.
6. (Knitting & Sewing) a box used by a tailor for discarded material
7. (Gambling, except Cards) rare a gambling house, booth, etc
8. as hell (intensifier): tired as hell.
9. for the hell of it informal for the fun of it
10. from hell informal denoting a person or thing that is particularly bad or alarming: neighbour from hell; hangover from hell.
11. give someone hell informal
a. to give someone a severe reprimand or punishment
b. to be a source of annoyance or torment to someone
12. hell of a helluva informal (intensifier): a hell of a good performance.
13. hell for leather at great speed
14. hell or high water come hell or high water informal whatever difficulties may arise
15. hell to pay informal serious consequences, as of a foolish action
16. like hell informal
a. (adverb) (intensifier): he works like hell.
b. an expression of strong disagreement with a previous statement, request, order, etc
17. play hell with play merry hell with informal to throw into confusion and disorder; disrupt
18. raise hell
a. to create a noisy disturbance, as in fun
b. to react strongly and unfavourably
19. the hell informal
a. (intensifier) used in such phrases as what the hell, who the hell, etc
b. an expression of strong disagreement or disfavour
interj
informal an exclamation of anger, annoyance, surprise, etc (Also in exclamations such as hell's bells, hell's teeth, etc)
[Old English hell; related to helan to cover, Old Norse hel, Gothic halja hell, Old High German hella]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
hell
(hɛl)n.
1. the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits.
2. any place or state of torment or misery: to make someone's life hell.
3. something that causes torment or misery.
4. the powers of evil.
5. the abode of the dead; Sheol or Hades.
6. extreme disorder or confusion; chaos: All hell broke loose.
7. a severe scolding or punishment: to catch hell; to give someone hell.
8. (used in swearing, as an expression of anger, dismissal, disgust, etc., or as an intensive): the hell with it; guilty as hell; a hell of a nice guy; Where the hell were you?
9. a box into which a printer throws discarded type.
interj. 10. (used to express irritation, disgust, surprise, etc.)
v. 11. hell around, Slang. to live or act in a wild or dissolute manner.
Idioms: 1. be hell on, Slang.
a. to be unpleasant to or painful for.
b. to be harmful to: These country roads are hell on tires.
2. for the hell of it, Informal. with no purpose other than sheer adventure or fun.
3. hell on wheels, Informal. extremely aggressive, active, or difficult to deal with.
4. hell to pay, very bad results or repercussions.
5. like hell, Informal.
a. with great speed, effort, intensity, etc.: We ran like hell.
b. Also, the hell. (used to emphasize a speaker's denial or disagreement): He says the motor won't break down? Like hell it won't!
6. play hell with, Informal. to injure or disrupt.
7. raise hell, Informal.
a. to indulge in wild celebration.
b. to create an uproar; object violently.
8. till hell freezes over, an impossibly long time; forever.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English hel(l), c. Old High German hell(i)a, Old Norse hel, Gothic halja; akin to Old English helan to cover, hide, and to hull2]
he'll
(hil; unstressed il, hɪl, ɪl) contraction of he will.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
hell
- barathrum - A bottomless pit or hell.
- fire and brimstone - Eternal punishment in hell (from Genesis 19:24 and Revelation 19:20).
- pandemonium - Literally means abode of all demons (or hell), from Greek pan-, "all," and daimon, "demon(s)."
- hell - The Indo-European root meant "covered or concealed," as hell is supposedly hidden in the dark regions near the Earth's center.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Hell
an abnormal fear of heil. Also called stygiophobia.
hadephobia.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | ![]() |
2. | hell - a cause of difficulty and suffering; "war is hell"; "go to blazes" trouble - an event causing distress or pain; "what is the trouble?"; "heart trouble" | |
3. | ![]() fictitious place, imaginary place, mythical place - a place that exists only in imagination; a place said to exist in fictional or religious writings hellfire, red region - a place of eternal fire envisaged as punishment for the damned Christian religion, Christianity - a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior Heaven - the abode of God and the angels | |
4. | ![]() fictitious place, imaginary place, mythical place - a place that exists only in imagination; a place said to exist in fictional or religious writings faith, religion, religious belief - a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality" Acheron, River Acheron - (Greek mythology) a river in Hades across which the souls of the dead were carried by Charon Cocytus, River Cocytus - (Greek mythology) a river in Hades that was said to be a tributary of the Acheron Lethe, River Lethe - (Greek mythology) a river in Hades; the souls of the dead had to drink from it, which made them forget all they had done and suffered when they were alive River Styx, Styx - (Greek mythology) a river in Hades across which Charon carried dead souls | |
5. | hell - violent and excited activity; "they began to fight like sin" activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech | |
6. | hell - noisy and unrestrained mischief; "raising blazes" mischief, mischief-making, devilment, roguery, shenanigan, roguishness, devilry, deviltry, mischievousness, rascality - reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
hell
noun
1. the underworld, the abyss, Hades (Greek myth), hellfire, the inferno, fire and brimstone, the bottomless pit, Gehenna (New Testament, Judaism), the nether world, the lower world, Tartarus (Greek myth), the infernal regions, the bad fire (informal), Acheron (Greek myth), Abaddon, the abode of the damned Don't worry about going to Hell, just be good.
for the hell of it (Informal) for fun, meaningless, for a laugh It was stupid, just vandalism for the hell of it.
give someone hell (Informal) scold, rebuke, reprimand, berate, lecture, be angry at, chastise, slap someone's wrist, bawl out, give someone a rollicking My father saw this in the newspaper and gave me absolute hell.
hell for leather headlong, speedily, quickly, swiftly, hurriedly, at the double, full-tilt, pell-mell, hotfoot, at a rate of knots, like a bat out of hell (slang), posthaste The first horse often goes hell for leather.
like hell (Informal) a lot, very much, a great deal It hurts like hell.
raise hell cause a disturbance, run riot, go wild, raise Cain, be loud and noisy Those people will be jabbering and raising hell.
Related words
fear hadephobia, stygiophobia
fear hadephobia, stygiophobia
Quotations
"There is a dreadful Hell,"
"And everlasting pains;"
"There sinners must with devils dwell"
"In darkness, fire, and chains" [Isaac Watts Divine Songs for Children]
"Hell hath no limits nor is circumscribed"
"In one self place, where we are is Hell,"
"And to be short, when all the world dissolves"
"And every creature shall be purified"
"All places shall be Hell that are not Heaven" [Christopher Marlowe Doctor Faustus]
"But wherefore thou alone? Wherefore with thee"
"Came not all hell broke loose?" [John Milton Paradise Lost]
"Hell is other people" [Jean-Paul Sartre Huis Clos]
"A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell" [George Bernard Shaw Parents and Children]
"Hell is a city much like London -"
"A populous and smoky city" [Percy Bysshe Shelley Peter Bell the Third]
"Hell is not to love any more, madame. Not to love any more!" [Georges Bernanos The Diary of a Country Priest]
"What is hell?"
"Hell is yourself,"
"Hell is alone, the other figures in it"
"Merely projections" [T.S. Eliot The Cocktail Party]
"If there is no Hell, a good many preachers are obtaining money under false pretenses" [William A. Sunday]
"There is a dreadful Hell,"
"And everlasting pains;"
"There sinners must with devils dwell"
"In darkness, fire, and chains" [Isaac Watts Divine Songs for Children]
"Hell hath no limits nor is circumscribed"
"In one self place, where we are is Hell,"
"And to be short, when all the world dissolves"
"And every creature shall be purified"
"All places shall be Hell that are not Heaven" [Christopher Marlowe Doctor Faustus]
"But wherefore thou alone? Wherefore with thee"
"Came not all hell broke loose?" [John Milton Paradise Lost]
"Hell is other people" [Jean-Paul Sartre Huis Clos]
"A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell" [George Bernard Shaw Parents and Children]
"Hell is a city much like London -"
"A populous and smoky city" [Percy Bysshe Shelley Peter Bell the Third]
"Hell is not to love any more, madame. Not to love any more!" [Georges Bernanos The Diary of a Country Priest]
"What is hell?"
"Hell is yourself,"
"Hell is alone, the other figures in it"
"Merely projections" [T.S. Eliot The Cocktail Party]
"If there is no Hell, a good many preachers are obtaining money under false pretenses" [William A. Sunday]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
hell
nounExcruciating punishment:
Idiom: tortures of the damned.
Informal. To behave riotously.Also used with around:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
hell
[hel]A. N
1. (= underworld, fig) → infierno m
life became hell → la vida se convirtió en un infierno
to be hell on earth → ser un infierno
till hell freezes over → hasta que las ranas críen pelo
to give sb hell she gave me hell when she found out (= scold) → me puso de vuelta y media cuando se enteró, me puso como un trapo cuando se enteró
my back's giving me hell → esta espalda me está haciendo la vida imposible
to go through hell → pasar las de Caín
I've been going through hell, wondering where you were → he estado preocupadísimo, preguntándome dónde estarías
come hell or high water → pase lo que pase
I'm going to finish this come hell or high water → voy a terminar esto aunque me cueste la vida or pase lo que pase
he's determined to support them come hell or high water → está decidido a apoyarlos contra viento y marea or pase lo que pase
hell for leather → como un(os) endemoniado(s)
he drove hell for leather to the airport → condujo hasta el aeropuerto como un endemoniado
all hell broke loose or was let loose → se armó el gran follón or la grande
to play (merry) hell with sth → hacer estragos en algo, trastornar algo
to raise hell (about sth) (= protest) → armarla (por algo) , liar un taco (por algo)
I'll see you/her in hell first → antes prefiero morir
he doesn't stand a snowball or snowflake in hell's chance (Brit) → no tiene ni la menor posibilidad, lo tiene muy difícil or muy crudo
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned → no hay mayor peligro que el de una mujer despechada
the road or path or way to hell is paved with good intentions → el camino del infierno está lleno de buenas intenciones
life became hell → la vida se convirtió en un infierno
to be hell on earth → ser un infierno
till hell freezes over → hasta que las ranas críen pelo
to give sb hell she gave me hell when she found out (= scold) → me puso de vuelta y media cuando se enteró, me puso como un trapo cuando se enteró
my back's giving me hell → esta espalda me está haciendo la vida imposible
to go through hell → pasar las de Caín
I've been going through hell, wondering where you were → he estado preocupadísimo, preguntándome dónde estarías
come hell or high water → pase lo que pase
I'm going to finish this come hell or high water → voy a terminar esto aunque me cueste la vida or pase lo que pase
he's determined to support them come hell or high water → está decidido a apoyarlos contra viento y marea or pase lo que pase
hell for leather → como un(os) endemoniado(s)
he drove hell for leather to the airport → condujo hasta el aeropuerto como un endemoniado
all hell broke loose or was let loose → se armó el gran follón or la grande
to play (merry) hell with sth → hacer estragos en algo, trastornar algo
to raise hell (about sth) (= protest) → armarla (por algo) , liar un taco (por algo)
I'll see you/her in hell first → antes prefiero morir
he doesn't stand a snowball or snowflake in hell's chance (Brit) → no tiene ni la menor posibilidad, lo tiene muy difícil or muy crudo
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned → no hay mayor peligro que el de una mujer despechada
the road or path or way to hell is paved with good intentions → el camino del infierno está lleno de buenas intenciones
2. (as intensifier)
(as) ... as hell it was as hot as hell → hacía un calor infernal
I'm mad as hell → estoy como una cabra or una chota
I sure as hell won't be going back there → pierde cuidado que no volveré a ese sitio
they did it just for the hell of it → lo hicieron por puro capricho or porque sí
like hell "I'll go myself" - "like hell you will!" → -iré yo mismo -¡ni lo sueñes! or ¡ni hablar!
"I swam 100 lengths" - "like hell you did" → -nadé cien largos -¡eso no te lo crees ni tú!
to run like hell → correr como un demonio or un diablo
it hurts like hell → duele una barbaridad
a hell of a there were a hell of a lot of people there → había un montañazo de gente
that's one hell of a lot of money → eso sí que es un verdadero dineral
a hell of a noise → un ruido de todos los demonios, un ruido tremendo
we had a hell of a time (= good) → lo pasamos en grande or (LAm) regio; (= bad) → lo pasamos fatal
the hell to beat the hell out of sb → dar una paliza de padre y muy señor mío a algn
to scare the hell out of sb → darle un susto de muerte a algn
to hell I hope to hell you're right → Dios quiera que tengas razón
I wish to hell he'd go → ojalá se fuera de una vez por todas
what the hell, I've got nothing to lose → ¡qué narices! or ¡qué más da! no tengo nada que perder
what the hell do you want? → ¿qué demonios or diablos quieres?
who the hell are you? → ¿quién demonios or diablos eres tú?
(as) ... as hell it was as hot as hell → hacía un calor infernal
I'm mad as hell → estoy como una cabra or una chota
I sure as hell won't be going back there → pierde cuidado que no volveré a ese sitio
they did it just for the hell of it → lo hicieron por puro capricho or porque sí
like hell "I'll go myself" - "like hell you will!" → -iré yo mismo -¡ni lo sueñes! or ¡ni hablar!
"I swam 100 lengths" - "like hell you did" → -nadé cien largos -¡eso no te lo crees ni tú!
to run like hell → correr como un demonio or un diablo
it hurts like hell → duele una barbaridad
a hell of a there were a hell of a lot of people there → había un montañazo de gente
that's one hell of a lot of money → eso sí que es un verdadero dineral
a hell of a noise → un ruido de todos los demonios, un ruido tremendo
we had a hell of a time (= good) → lo pasamos en grande or (LAm) regio; (= bad) → lo pasamos fatal
the hell to beat the hell out of sb → dar una paliza de padre y muy señor mío a algn
to scare the hell out of sb → darle un susto de muerte a algn
to hell I hope to hell you're right → Dios quiera que tengas razón
I wish to hell he'd go → ojalá se fuera de una vez por todas
what the hell, I've got nothing to lose → ¡qué narices! or ¡qué más da! no tengo nada que perder
what the hell do you want? → ¿qué demonios or diablos quieres?
who the hell are you? → ¿quién demonios or diablos eres tú?
3. (as interjection) (oh) hell! → ¡caray!, ¡mierda!
hell's bells! (o.f.) → ¡válgame Dios!
get the hell out of here! → ¡vete al diablo!
let's get the hell out of here! → ¡larguémonos de aquí!
go to hell! → ¡vete al diablo!
hell, no! → ¡ni lo sueñes!, ¡ni hablar!
hell's teeth! (o.f.) → ¡válgame Dios!
to hell with it! → ¡a hacer puñetas!
to hell with him! → ¡que se vaya a hacer puñetas!
see also bloody
hell's bells! (o.f.) → ¡válgame Dios!
get the hell out of here! → ¡vete al diablo!
let's get the hell out of here! → ¡larguémonos de aquí!
go to hell! → ¡vete al diablo!
hell, no! → ¡ni lo sueñes!, ¡ni hablar!
hell's teeth! (o.f.) → ¡válgame Dios!
to hell with it! → ¡a hacer puñetas!
to hell with him! → ¡que se vaya a hacer puñetas!
see also bloody
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
hell
(hel) noun (according to some religions) the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death with much pain, misery etc. infierno
for the hell of it for no particular reason; just for fun. The boys said they had set fire to the house just for the hell of it. por que sí; por el gusto de hacerlo, por darse el gusto
ˌhellˈbent on determined on. I've told him it will be dangerous, but he's hellbent on going. totalmente resuelto a
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
hell
→ infiernoMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009