hellfire

noun

hell·​fire ˈhel-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce hellfire (audio)
: the eternal fire of hell that tortures sinners
hellfire adjective

Examples of hellfire in a Sentence

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.
Soon, Happy Hollow is awash in rumors of teenage cults and demonic possession, and where there’s smoke, there may be actual hellfire. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024 Many contemporary American pastors have cast aside their hellfire sermons and started focusing instead on personal fulfillment—and riches. James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015 But the autobiography in The Boy and the Heron only goes so far: Mahito’s mother dies in that scene, consumed by hellfire before the boy can reach her, while Miyazaki’s mother lived until 1983, long enough to know the beginnings of her son’s storied animation career. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 Van Zweden, leading the Philharmonic with the excellent singers of Musica Sacra, slid back into old habit of blazing through a score, which robbed sections like the hellfire Dies Irae of their heft. Joshua Barone, New York Times, 31 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for hellfire 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near hellfire

Cite this Entry

“Hellfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellfire. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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