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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But being in your early thirties and playing yourself as a junior high school student and then surrounding yourself with age-appropriate actors who are actually going through that hellish rite of passage brings a whole new layer of cringe and humor. Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024 Meanwhile, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) transforms into the Green Goblin and sets about making his former best friend’s life generally hellish. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024 The success of the Manhattan Project made a truly hellish set of futures possible for our species, up to and including our extinction. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024 Come for the downward spiral of hellish despair, stay for macabre goat Black Phillip and the ominous climax. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024 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 16 Nov. 2024.

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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