adj
hellish
HEH-lihsh
Hellish (adj) means resembling or relating to hell; infernal. Example: “The volcano's glowing lava gave the valley a hellish look.”
adj
1
Resembling or relating to hell; infernal.
"The volcano's glowing lava gave the valley a hellish look."
2
Extremely unpleasant, painful, or difficult.
"We had a hellish drive home through the storm."
How to use hellish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLike hell — either literally infernal-looking, or, more commonly, just really awful.
Common pairings
a hellish day
hellish heat
hellish traffic
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more hellish
- Superlative
- most hellish
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The volcano's glowing lava gave the valley a _____ look.
Etymology
From "hell" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ish."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for hellish
See all rhymes for hellish →Frequently asked questions
What does “hellish” mean?
The word “hellish” means resembling or relating to hell; infernal. In plain terms, like hell — either literally infernal-looking, or, more commonly, just really awful.
How do you pronounce “hellish”?
“Hellish” is pronounced HEH-lihsh (/ˈhɛlɪʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “hellish” in a sentence?
Here is “hellish” used in a sentence: “The volcano's glowing lava gave the valley a hellish look.”
What part of speech is “hellish”?
“Hellish” is an adjective.
How many meanings does “hellish” have?
“Hellish” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: resembling or relating to hell; infernal.
