inferno
noun
in·fer·no
in-ˈfər-(ˌ)nō 
plural infernos
: a place or a state that resembles or suggests hell
the inferno of war
Examples of inferno in a Sentence
By the time help arrived, the fire had grown to a raging inferno.
the intense heat of the raging inferno repeatedly drove back the firefighters
Recent Examples on the Web
Fortunately, firefighters were gaining an edge over the infernos as temperatures dropped.
—
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
In London, late in 1940, the German bombs fall, erupting into an inferno of buildings gutted by glowing orange flame.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
In 2018, a worn suspension hook on a transmission tower broke and dropped a high-voltage powerline onto combustible vegetation, sparking the Camp Fire, an inferno that razed the town of Paradise, California.
—Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
The inferno occurred late Thursday at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, in the country’s Nyeri county, Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the Kenya National Police Service said.
—Larry Madowo, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inferno 
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.
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
In London, late in 1940, the German bombs fall, erupting into an inferno of buildings gutted by glowing orange flame.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
In 2018, a worn suspension hook on a transmission tower broke and dropped a high-voltage powerline onto combustible vegetation, sparking the Camp Fire, an inferno that razed the town of Paradise, California.
—Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
The inferno occurred late Thursday at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, in the country’s Nyeri county, Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the Kenya National Police Service said.
—Larry Madowo, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inferno
Articles Related to inferno
Dictionary Entries Near inferno
Cite this Entry
“Inferno.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferno. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inferno
noun
in·fer·no
in-ˈfər-nō
plural infernos
: a place or state that resembles or suggests hell especially in great heat or raging fire
Etymology
from Italian inferno "underworld, hell," from Latin infernus (same meaning), from earlier infernus (adjective) "lying beneath, in the lower regions"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share