1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the hellacious heat was more than we could bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the pioneers survived a particularly hellacious river crossing with their covered wagon barely in one piece
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Recent Examples of hellacious
Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid dished out three assists and a hellacious hit on Czechia forward Lukas Sedlec on his first shift early in the first period that set the tone for a fast paced, hard hitting and unselfish display of often breathtaking hockey.
—
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 Feb. 2026
Even against a hellacious Houston defense, the Patriots’ shortest path to victory is to ask Maye to carry them yet again.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Playing a school driver who has to get a bunch of kids to safety during a hellacious, out-of-control California fire, McConaughey learned how to drive a bus, grinding gears and everything.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Having a baby is never an easy experience, but the sixth episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood plunged poor Julia (Hermione Corfield) into a hellacious labor experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 Feb. 2026
Even against a hellacious Houston defense, the Patriots’ shortest path to victory is to ask Maye to carry them yet again.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Playing a school driver who has to get a bunch of kids to safety during a hellacious, out-of-control California fire, McConaughey learned how to drive a bus, grinding gears and everything.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Having a baby is never an easy experience, but the sixth episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood plunged poor Julia (Hermione Corfield) into a hellacious labor experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellacious
Adjective
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Later, the Moon squares Mars in Aries, which can make the moment feel more intense.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
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Keep in mind that Pluto retrogrades happen every year for approximately half the year, but this particular cycle will be especially raw and intense, both at a personal and global level.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Combining all of this in one material has been difficult because thermal control and signal control rely on very different properties.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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Despite the removal of material, the architecture can result in a busy design and potentially make reading the time difficult.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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The intensive, weeklong building sessions named after former President Jimmy Carter and his late wife Rosalynn have constructed roughly 5,000 homes in 14 countries since 1984.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
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The others, though some needed intensive treatments, are stable, the zoo said.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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But as challenging as these cases can be, the I-Team found the fight for workers' comp when a firefighter is battling cancer can be even more complicated.—
Ginger Allen,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Corporations benefit from the best talent without having to hire them, which is challenging and expensive.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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This may explain why Suzanna’s mother is a somewhat indistinct presence in the novel (at least compared with fierce Sylvie)—patient, even serene behind bars, more eager to talk about her daughter’s future than about her own future, let alone her troubled past.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Bloomberg-era street transformations weren’t popular at first, and pushback was fierce.—
Jonathan Timm,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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The old saying that film does not lie is true here in the opening episode, as viewers get a glimpse at Williams’ basketball skills as a shooter and leaping ability as a ferocious dunker.—
Joe Davidson
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
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In July 2023, daredevil physicists outfitted a high-altitude NASA plane with gamma-ray detectors and flew it straight over the core of some of the most ferocious storms on the planet — tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Every personal finance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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The process began with a rigorous study and a series of strategic partnerships.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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