adj
infernal
ihn-FUR-nuhl
adj
1
Relating to hell or the underworld; hellish.
"The painting showed sinners trapped in some infernal pit of fire."
"The heat in the boiler room was infernal."
2
Extremely annoying or troublesome (informal, used for emphasis).
"Turn off that infernal alarm, it's been going for ten minutes!"
How to Use Infernal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHellish, or (informally) maddeningly annoying.
When to use it
The "annoying" sense is old-fashioned and mostly used for comic or exaggerated effect.
Common pairings
infernal machine
infernal noise
infernal regions
Word Forms
more infernal comparative, infernals plural, most infernal superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “infernal”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The painting showed sinners trapped in some _____ pit of fire.
Etymology
From Latin infernus, "the underworld," via Medieval Latin infernalis.