hellish

adjective

hell·​ish ˈhe-lish How to pronounce hellish (audio)
: 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.
Even though Ciara and Nikki catch some of the votes, Bob the Drag Queen is banished from the game after that hellish Traitor-on-Traitor violence. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025 But an indie Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, or even Skate, this is not: Eng is whisking us off to the nine hellish layers of the underworld to complete a series of fiendish skateboarding trials. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025 The fact the lodge and most of the nearby resort escaped the hellish firestorm is a testament to the work of Smith’s team and firefighters. Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024 Mostly shying away from politics, From Ground Zero is a view of life in hellish conditions that also finds hope in small moments of normalcy. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Jan. 2025 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

Dictionary Entries Near hellish

Cite this Entry

“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellish. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

hellish

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