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

Resembling or relating to hell; infernal.

"The volcano's glowing lava gave the valley a hellish look."

Extremely unpleasant, painful, or difficult.

"We had a hellish drive home through the storm."

How to use hellish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLike hell — either literally infernal-looking, or, more commonly, just really awful.

Common pairings

a hellish day hellish heat hellish traffic

Word forms

more hellish comparative, most hellish superlative

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The volcano's glowing lava gave the valley a _____ look.

Etymology

From "hell" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ish."

Rhymes for hellish

embellish

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.