a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the earth where the wicked are punished after death, a state or place of great suffering; an unbearable experience

when hell freezes over, a snowball's chance in hell, all hell breaks loose

raise hell, come hell or high water, give someone hell

Formal and Informal Expressions of hell

In different contexts, you can replace 'hell' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'underworld, netherworld' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'the pits, nightmare' is a commonplace synonym.

hell: Explore its Definition & Usage

hell Definition

1a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the earth where the wicked are punished after death
2a state or place of great suffering; an unbearable experience

Using hell: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "hell" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
I feel like I'm going through hell right now.
Example
He's going to catch hell from his boss for missing the deadline.
Example
She's been through hell and back with her illness.
Example
I wouldn't wish that kind of hell on anyone.

hell Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for hell

Antonyms for hell

Idioms Using hell

when hell freezes over
never, under any circumstances
Example
I'll go bungee jumping when hell freezes over!
a snowball's chance in hell
an extremely small likelihood of success
Example
He has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the election.
all hell breaks loose
a chaotic or violent situation erupts
Example
When the referee made a bad call, all hell broke loose on the soccer field.

Phrases with hell

raise hell
to cause trouble or make a lot of noise in a wild or angry way
Example
The protesters were raising hell outside the courthouse.
come hell or high water
no matter what happens or what difficulties are faced
Example
I promised my friend I would be at her wedding, come hell or high water.
give someone hell
to criticize or punish someone severely
Example
His coach gave him hell for missing the game-winning shot.

Origins of hell

from Old English 'hel', related to German 'Hölle'

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Summary: hell in Brief

The term 'hell' [hel] refers to a place of spiritual evil and suffering in various religions, as well as a state or place of great suffering. It is often used metaphorically to describe unbearable experiences, such as 'She's been through hell and back with her illness.' 'Hell' also appears in idioms like 'raise hell,' meaning to cause trouble, and 'when hell freezes over,' meaning never.