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
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.
The second season finds Jeong Jin-soo (Kim Sung-cheol), founder of a religious cult, as one of many back on Earth after a hellish trip, dealing with the ramifications of resurrection. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024 The sequel isn’t totally starved for fresh ideas, conceptual or thematic; for one, the rules governing its hellish setting — a symbolic column of class warfare, like the Snowpiercer flipped on its side — have been tweaked. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2024 The freaky period piece and tragic family drama features Anja Taylor-Joy as a troubled 17th-century teen on the cusp of adulthood who goes down a dark path and Black Phillip as the G.O.A.T. of hellish goats. 23. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024 Yet for all the growth of the influencer economy, the career path can be hellish, involving constant hustle, relentless criticism, and existential meaninglessness. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 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 21 Dec. 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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