- 1[singular] Hell (used without a or the) in some religions, the place believed to be the home of the devil and where bad people go after death
- 2[uncountable, singular] a very unpleasant experience or situation in which people suffer very much The last three months have been hell. He went through hell during the trial. Her parents made her life hell. Being totally alone is my idea of hell on earth.
- 3[uncountable] a swear word that some people use when they are annoyed or surprised or to emphasize something. Its use is offensive to some people Oh hell, I've burned the pan. What the hell do you think you are doing? Go to hell! I can't really afford it, but, what the hell (= it doesn't matter), I'll get it anyway. He's as guilty as hell. “Do you understand?” “Hell, no. I don't.” Idioms
- 1to make life unpleasant for someone He used to give his mother hell when he was a teenager. My new shoes are giving me hell (= are hurting me).
- 2to shout at or speak angrily to someone Dad will give us hell when he sees that mess.
- 1(informal) used for emphasis She worked like hell to prepare for her exams. My broken finger hurt like hell.
- 2(informal) used when you are refusing permission or saying that something is not true “I'm coming with you.” “Like hell you are.” (= you certainly are not)
suddenly there was a lot of noise, arguing, fighting, or confusion There was a loud bang and then all hell broke loose.
beat/kick (the) hell out of somebody/something, knock hell out of somebody/something (informal) jump to other results
to be punished or spoken to angrily about something If your dad finds out you'll really catch hell!
a lot of trouble There'll be hell to pay when he finds out.
just for fun; for no real reason They stole the car just for the hell of it.
used to describe a very unpleasant person or thing; the worst that you can imagine They are the neighbors from hell.
to leave a place very quickly Let's get the hell out of here.
to get into a very bad state
used to refer to someone, usually a woman, who has reacted very angrily to something, especially the fact that her husband or lover has been unfaithful
NAmE//ˈhɛləvə//
(slang) used to give emphasis to what a person is saying The firm was in a hell of a mess when he took over. This vacation is going to cost a hell of a lot of money. It must have been one hell of a party. It's taken him a hell of a long time to get here. That's one helluva big house you've got. despite any difficulties I was determined to go, come hell or high water.
very fast She was driving like a bat out of hell.
to have no chance at all She doesn't have a hope of winning.
to have no chance at all
to protest angrily, especially in a way that causes trouble for someone
it is not enough to intend to do good things; you must actually do them
to scare, annoy, etc. someone very much
used to say that someone has been through a difficult situation We'd been to hell and back together and we were still good friends.
used to express anger or dislike and to say that you no longer care about someone or something and will take no notice of them “To hell with him,” she thought, “I'm leaving.”
Check pronunciation: hell