noun
inferno
ihn-FNOH
noun
1
A huge, raging fire.
"Firefighters battled the inferno for six hours before it was contained."
"Dry winds turned the small brush fire into a raging inferno."
2
A place or situation so intense or hellish it resembles Hell.
"The stadium became an inferno of noise as the home team scored."
How to Use Inferno
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA massive, out-of-control fire, or figuratively any hellishly intense situation.
Common pairings
raging inferno
blazing inferno
turn into an inferno
Word Forms
infernos plural
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Firefighters battled the _____ for six hours before it was contained.
Etymology
From Italian inferno, "hell," from Latin infernus. The "huge fire" meaning developed later, from the idea of hellfire.