as in horrible
of, resembling, or befitting hell
We've been having hellish weather lately. The battlefield was a hellish scene of death and destruction.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hellish
The news site Deadspin took clips of different anchors intoning the same words and laid them over one another to make a hellish cacophony.
—
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
The blood seeps up the edges of her white skirts — that’s going to be hellish to try to get out.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Finding the beauty in that hellish croak — something that Josh Groban was able to do in the last Broadway revival — can prove exceptionally difficult.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
This season takes a hellish turn, as our caveman protagonist encounters undead and other paranormal enemies.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
The blood seeps up the edges of her white skirts — that’s going to be hellish to try to get out.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Finding the beauty in that hellish croak — something that Josh Groban was able to do in the last Broadway revival — can prove exceptionally difficult.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
This season takes a hellish turn, as our caveman protagonist encounters undead and other paranormal enemies.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hellish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellish
Adjective
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The timing is awful, as Rodon was scheduled to make a rehab start with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.—
Logan Brown,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Broncos were awful on the ground.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Brandon Lowe homered twice and fellow Pirates newcomer Ryan O'Hearn also went deep, but Pittsburgh's pitching and defense were dreadful in a disappointing start.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But keep in mind that only Atlanta and Charlotte have fewer games against tanking/dreadful teams than Miami does, which means the Heat might need to win at least five of its seven other games to have a legitimate chance of climbing out of the play-in.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The noise is hideous, but the pollution is much worse.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But once, my roommate had hung this hideous rack of dusty old spices above the stove.—
Alyse Whitney,
Saveur,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Thanks to Epperson’s goal from the front-left side of the crease in the second OT, the Pioneers avoided a sickening taste of déjà vu.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Every repeat viewing of Abraham's performance reveals some new moment of humiliation — some fresh sickening glimmer of anguish that feels all too familiar.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The exhibition pairs their work together, showing the value of shocking style in a moment of conservatism.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Pastor Stephen Perumalla said the circumstances are shocking.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellish. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
