Hell — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈhel/

Meaning & Definition of Hell

Hell (noun)

  1. a nether world in which the dead continue to exist, hades
  2. the nether realm of the devil and demons in which condemned people suffer everlasting punishment in some religions —often used in curses or as a generalized term of abuse
  3. a state of thought in which sin and a belief in the mortal existence of humans is present, error, sin

Hell (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the place of punishment for the wicked after death

    "condemned to hell for their sins"

    similar: Gehenna, Pandemonium, perdition, Tophet
    related: blazes, inferno, purgatory, hades, netherworld, shades, Tartarus, underworld, Sheol, abyss, pit, fire and brimstone, hellfire
    opposite: bliss, elysian fields, Elysium, empyrean, heaven, kingdom come, New Jerusalem, paradise, sky, Zion
    near: glory, happy hunting ground, nirvana, promised land, Valhalla

  2. a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness

    "picking cotton under the hot summer sun was hell"

    similar: agony, Gehenna, horror, misery, murder, nightmare, torment, torture
    related: affliction, calvary, cross, curse, ordeal, trial, tribulation, calamity, misfortune, tragedy, gall, thorn, bummer, downer, drag
    opposite: heaven, paradise
    near: delight, diversion, entertainment, fun, joy, pleasure, recreation, lark, picnic, riot

  3. a state in which everything is out of order

    "all hell broke loose when the jury's verdict was announced"

    similar: chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, jumble, mare's nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter
    related: anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, riot, knot, snarl, tangle, labyrinth, maze, web, maelstrom, storm, bollix, clutter, litter, mishmash, shuffle, hodgepodge, medley, miscellany, morass, motley
    opposite: order, orderliness
    near: method, pattern, plan, system

Related Entry: Hell-bent (on or upon) (adjective)

Hell-bent (on or upon) is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for hell-bent (on or upon), not for hell.

  1. fully committed to achieving a goal

    "she's hell-bent on a career in show business and heaven help anyone who gets in her way"

    similar: bent (on or upon), bound, decisive, determined, do-or-die, firm, intent, out, purposeful, resolute, resolved, set, single-minded, on one's mettle
    related: bitter, vehement, certain, cocksure, confident, positive, sure, earnest, serious, steady, unfaltering, unhesitating, unswerving, unwavering, adamant, adamantine, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, obdurate, persistent, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed, stubborn, tenacious, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful
    opposite: faltering, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, undetermined, unresolved, vacillating, wavering, weak-kneed
    near: distrustful, doubtful, dubious, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure, disinclined, indisposed, loath, reluctant

Related Entry: Hell-for-leather (adjective)

Hell-for-leather is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for hell-for-leather, not for hell.

  1. having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions

    "having been behind for most of the race, the stock car driver made a hell-for-leather dash to the finish"

    similar: daredevil, devil-may-care, foolhardy, harum-scarum, irresponsible, kamikaze, reckless
    related: adventurous, audacious, bold, daring, venturesome, hasty, headlong, hotheaded, impetuous, precipitate, rash, wild, blithe, carefree, happy-go-lucky, madcap, slaphappy, nonchalant, unconcerned, unworried, careless, freewheeling, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unheeding, unmindful, feckless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking
    opposite: responsible
    near: careful, cautious, circumspect, heedful, overcareful, overcautious, timid

Related Entry: Hell-for-leather (adverb)

Hell-for-leather is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for hell-for-leather, not for hell.

  1. with great speed

    "we ran hell-for-leather out of that spooky house"

    similar: apace, briskly, chop-chop, double-quick, fast, fleetly, full tilt, hastily, hot, lickety-split, posthaste, presto, pronto, quick, quickly, rapidly, snappily, soon, speedily, swift, swiftly, a mile a minute, at full throttle, at full tilt, by leaps and bounds, in a hurry, in short order, like a shot, like gangbusters, like wildfire
    related: immediately, promptly, readily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly, abruptly, suddenly, energetically, vigorously
    opposite: slow, slowly
    near: laggardly, lingeringly, ploddingly, sluggishly, deliberately, leisurely, belatedly, delinquently, tardily

Related Entry: Hell-raising (adjective)

Hell-raising is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for hell-raising, not for hell.

  1. being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way

    "would often reminisce with his buddies about their hell-raising adventures as teenagers"

    similar: boisterous, knockabout, rambunctious, raucous, robustious, roisterous, rollicking, rowdy, rumbustious (chiefly British), wild and woolly
    related: callithumpian, carnival, carnivalesque, larrikin (chiefly Australian), raffish, rampageous, riotous, rowdyish, ruffianly, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent, violent, headstrong, intractable, obstreperous, recalcitrant, uncontrollable, uncontrolled, undisciplined, ungovernable, uninhibited, unmanageable, unreserved, unrestrained, unruly, wild, willful, bubbly, buoyant, effervescent, exuberant, high-spirited, impassioned, lively, sprightly, vivacious, clamorous, loudmouthed, noisy, open-mouthed, rackety, strident, vociferous, howling, screaming, yelling
    opposite: orderly
    near: sedate, sober, solemn, somber, staid, decorous, dignified, proper, seemly, calm, hushed, noiseless, peaceful, placid, quiet, restrained, serene, silent, soundless, tranquil, collected, composed, constrained, controlled, imperturbable, inhibited, repressed, self-controlled, unflappable, unruffled, moderate, reasonable, subdued, temperate, impassive, phlegmatic, stoic, stolid, depressed, aloof, detached, indifferent

Related Entry: Hell-bent (adjective)

Hell-bent is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for hell-bent, not for hell.

  1. as in single-minded, intent

    similar: assured, certain, dedicated, determined, firm, intent, positive, resolute, resolved, single-minded, sure, dogged, insistent, patient, persevering, persistent, pertinacious, tenacious, adamant, bullheaded, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, implacable, indurate, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, peevish, perverse, pigheaded, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unregenerate, unyielding, willful, unfaltering, unhesitating, unwavering, resistant, wayward, wrongheaded, constant, devoted, faithful, good, loyal, staunch, steadfast, steady, true, indomitable, unconquerable, hard, inflexible, relentless, stern, unbending, unflinching, unrelenting
    opposite: quitting, surrendering, yielding, faltering, hesitant, hesitating, irresolute, vacillating, wavering, disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, traitorous, treacherous

Related Entry: Raise Cain (phrase)

Raise Cain is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for raise Cain, not for hell.

  1. to behave badly

    "Area teens were caught raising Cain in the park after dark."

    similar: act out, act up, carry on, misbehave, run riot
    related: misconduct, disobey, rebel, clown (around), cut up, fool around, horse around, kid (around), show off, roughhouse
    near: obey, acquit, act, bear, comport, conduct, demean, deport, quit, comply, conform, check, collect, compose, constrain, contain, control, curb, handle, inhibit, move, quiet, repress, restrain

Related Entry: Raised Cain (phrase)

Raised Cain is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for raised Cain, not for hell.

  1. to behave badly

    "Area teens were caught raising Cain in the park after dark."

    similar: acted out, acted up, carried on, misbehaved, ran riot
    related: misconducted, disobeyed, rebelled, clowned (around), cut up, fooled around, horsed around, kidded (around), showed off, roughhoused
    near: obeyed, acquitted, acted, bore, comported, conducted, demeaned, deported, quit, complied, conformed, checked, collected, composed, constrained, contained, controlled, curbed, handled, inhibited, moved, quieted, repressed, restrained

Related Entry: Raises Cain (phrase)

Raises Cain is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for raises Cain, not for hell.

  1. to behave badly

    "Area teens were caught raising Cain in the park after dark."

    similar: acts out, acts up, carries on, misbehaves, runs riot
    related: misconducts, disobeys, rebels, clowns (around), cuts up, fools around, horses around, kids (around), shows off, roughhouses
    near: obeys, acquits, acts, bears, comports, conducts, demeans, deports, quits, complies, conforms, checks, collects, composes, constrains, contains, controls, curbs, handles, inhibits, moves, quiets, represses, restrains

Related Entry: Raising Cain (phrase)

Raising Cain is a different word from Hell. The synonyms below are for raising Cain, not for hell.

  1. to behave badly

    "Area teens were caught raising Cain in the park after dark."

    similar: acting out, acting up, carrying on, misbehaving, running riot
    related: misconducting, disobeying, rebelling, clowning (around), cutting up, fooling around, horsing around, kidding (around), showing off, roughhousing
    near: obeying, acquitting, acting, bearing, comporting, conducting, demeaning, deporting, quitting, complying, conforming, checking, collecting, composing, constraining, containing, controlling, curbing, handling, inhibiting, moving, quieting, repressing, restraining

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hell

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hell:

Gehenna, Pandemonium, perdition, Tophet, agony, horror, misery, murder, nightmare, torment, torture, chance-medley, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, jumble, mare's nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hell

Words with the opposite meaning of Hell:

bliss, elysian fields, Elysium, empyrean, heaven, kingdom come, New Jerusalem, paradise, sky, Zion, order, orderliness

Related Words for Hell

blazes, inferno, purgatory, hades, netherworld, shades, Tartarus, underworld, Sheol, abyss, pit, fire and brimstone, hellfire, affliction, calvary, cross, curse, ordeal, trial, tribulation, calamity, misfortune, tragedy, gall, thorn, bummer, downer, drag, anarchy, lawlessness

Near Antonyms of Hell

glory, happy hunting ground, nirvana, promised land, Valhalla, delight, diversion, entertainment, fun, joy, pleasure, recreation, lark, picnic, riot, method, pattern, plan, system

Origin & Etymology of Hell

Middle English helle, going back to Old English hell, helle, going back to Germanic *haljō (whence also Old Saxon hellia "abode of the dead," Old High German hella, hellia, Old Norse hel "abode of the dead, the death goddess," Gothic halja, translating Greek Háidēs), perhaps from an o-grade nominal derivative of the Germanic verbal base *hel- "cover, hide" conceal

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hell

Words & Phrases Containing Hell

hell-bent, hell-for-leather, hell on, hell or high water, hell-raiser, hell to pay

Frequently Asked Questions about Hell

What does "Hell" mean?

"Hell" means a nether world in which the dead continue to exist, hades. As a noun, it is defined as: a nether world in which the dead continue to exist, hades. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hell"?

Other words for "Hell" include Gehenna, Pandemonium, perdition, Tophet, agony, horror, misery and murder. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hell" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hell"?

There are 85 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hell". Common alternatives include Gehenna, Pandemonium, perdition, Tophet, agony, horror, misery, murder, nightmare and torment.

What is the opposite of "Hell"?

Antonyms of "Hell" include bliss, elysian fields, Elysium, empyrean, heaven, kingdom come, New Jerusalem and paradise. Near antonyms include glory, happy hunting ground, nirvana and promised land.

How do you use "Hell" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hell" in a sentence: "condemned to hell for their sins"; "picking cotton under the hot summer sun was hell"; "all hell broke loose when the jury's verdict was announced".

Is "Hell" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hell" is a noun.

Is "Hell" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Hell" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Hell"?

"Hell" is pronounced /ˈhel/.