hellhole

noun

hell·​hole ˈhel-ˌhōl How to pronounce hellhole (audio)
: a place of extreme misery or squalor

Examples of hellhole in a Sentence

The factory is a hellhole. his first apartment was a hellhole in an unsafe neighborhood
Recent Examples on the Web Well, because the woke Democrats, like AOC and Alvin Bragg, have made NYC a hellhole. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2024 Critics will contend that a nation that fights only when vital interests are at stake will become oblivious to the suffering of those unfortunate people living in such hellholes as Syria. Andrew J. Bacevich, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017 To hear Todd Johnson tell it, Waldo is a barbaric hellhole, a lawless territory where criminals pillage with near impunity. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024 As my Times colleague Julia Wick reported this week, conservatives — long convinced that the city by the Bay is a progressive hellhole of homelessness, unchecked crime and drug addiction — are holding their collective noses to cheer for the 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hellhole 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hellhole.' 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

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hellhole was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near hellhole

Cite this Entry

“Hellhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hellhole. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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