hellhound

noun

hell·​hound ˈhel-ˌhau̇nd How to pronounce hellhound (audio)
1
: a dog represented in mythology as a guardian of the underworld
2
: a fiendish person

Examples of hellhound in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In English literature and folklore, a black dog was a demonic hellhound that served as an omen of death. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024 The demon party really takes off at that point, with two more hellhounds joining Doja in the attic for a Beelzebub dance party. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Sep. 2023 Or by a hellhound? Vulture, 23 Dec. 2022 In order to move on from the death of Colin Robinson, the remaining household members — along with the Guide, Baron Afanas, the Sire, and their hellhound — sit for a fresh family portrait painted by Donal Logue. Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2021 In Aduba’s hilarious and scalding performance, Clyde, wearing a succession of skintight don’t-mess-with-me outfits by Jennifer Moeller, is a shape-shifting hellhound, all but breathing fire. Jesse Green, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2021 In the new clip, Rudd encounters a few of the ghostly mainstays from movies past, including miniature Stay Puft marshmallow men and a terror dog, a demonic hellhound who chases him around a department store. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2021 There’s a new animal in this season, the hellhound. Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2021 The demon and his hellhound stood at the edge of the bed. Jaquira Díaz, Time, 3 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hellhound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hellhound was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hellhound

Cite this Entry

“Hellhound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellhound. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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