hell
noun /hel/
/hel/
Idioms - [singular](usually Hell)(used without a or the) (in some religions) the place believed to be the home of devils and where bad people go after death
- He was terrified of going to hell when he died.
- in hell They were threatened with spending eternity in hell.
Extra ExamplesTopics Religion and festivalsb2- Lava poured out of the volcano, glowing like the fires of hell.
- tormented souls in hell
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- eternal
- go to
- fire
- in hell
- the fires of hell
- the flames of hell
- [uncountable, singular] a very unpleasant experience or situation in which people suffer very much
- The last three months have been hell.
- He went through hell during the trial.
- Her parents made her life hell.
- Being totally alone is my idea of hell on earth.
- He was in a hell of his own making.
- in hell For the last few weeks my whole family has been in hell because of this.
- hell for somebody Since she moved in, life has been hell for the other residents.
- it is hell doing something It was hell getting through airport security.
Extra Examples- I'm never going to escape this hell.
- It was sheer hell having to sit through hours of boring lectures!
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- absolute
- pure
- sheer
- …
- endure
- go through
- give somebody
- …
- in hell
- the… from hell
- hell on earth
- [uncountable] a swear word that some people use when they are annoyed or surprised or to emphasize something. Its use is offensive to some people.
- Oh hell, I've burned the pan.
- What the hell do you think you are doing?
- Go to hell!
- I can't really afford it, but, what the hell (= it doesn't matter), I'll get it anyway.
- He's as guilty as hell.
- (North American English) ‘Do you understand?’ ‘Hell, no. I don't.’
Word OriginOld English hel, hell, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hel and German Hölle, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to cover or hide’.
Idioms
all hell broke loose
- (informal) suddenly there was a lot of noise, arguing, fighting, etc.
- There was a loud bang and then all hell broke loose.
beat/kick (the) hell out of somebody/something | knock hell out of somebody/something
- (informal) to hit somebody/something very hard
- He was a dirty player and loved to kick hell out of the opposition.
bug the hell/crap/shit out of somebody
- (taboo, slang) to annoy somebody very much
- The song just bugs the hell out of me.
- Those two idiots bug the shit out of me.
catch hell (North American English)
(British English catch it, North American English get it)
- (informal) to be punished or spoken to angrily about something
- If your dad finds out you'll really catch hell!
the devil/hell to pay
- (informal) a lot of trouble
- There'll be hell to pay when he finds out.
(just) for the hell of it
- (informal) just for fun; for no real reason
- They stole the car just for the hell of it.
from hell
- (informal) used to describe a very unpleasant person or thing; the worst that you can imagine
- They are the neighbours from hell.
Extra Examples- It really was the holiday from hell—it rained all the time, we all got colds, and we missed the plane home.
- She's the girlfriend from hell—I don't know know why he puts up with her.
get the hell out (of…)
- (informal) to leave a place very quickly
- Let's get the hell out of here.
give somebody hell (informal)
- to make life unpleasant for somebody
- He used to give his mother hell when he was a teenager.
- My new shoes are giving me hell (= are hurting me).
- to shout at or speak angrily to somebody
- Dad will give us hell when he sees that mess.
go to hell in a handbasket (North American English)
(also go to the dogs British and North American English)
- (informal) to get into a very bad state
- This firm's gone to hell in a handbasket since the new management took over.
hell for leather
- (British English, old-fashioned, informal) as quickly as possible
- to ride hell for leather
hell hath no fury (like a woman scorned)
- used to refer to somebody, usually a woman, who has reacted very angrily to something, especially the fact that her husband or partner has been unfaithful
a/one hell of a… | a/one helluva…
/ˈheləvə/
/ˈheləvə/
- (slang) used to give emphasis to what a person is saying
- The firm was in a hell of a mess when he took over.
- This holiday is going to cost a hell of a lot of money.
- It must have been one hell of a party.
- It’s taken him a hell of a long time to get here.
- That's one helluva big house you've got.
(come) hell or high water
- despite any difficulties
- I was determined to go, come hell or high water.
Hell’s teeth
- (British English, old-fashioned, informal) used to express anger or surprise
- Hell’s teeth, I promised I’d be back by two.
like a bat out of hell
- (old-fashioned, informal) very fast
- She was driving like a bat out of hell.
like hell
- (informal) used for emphasis
- She worked like hell for her exams.
- My broken finger hurt like hell.
- (informal) used when you are refusing permission or saying that something is not true
- ‘I'm coming with you.’ ‘Like hell you are (= you certainly are not).’
not have/stand a cat in hell’s chance (of doing something)
- (informal) to have no chance at all
not have a hope (in hell) (of doing something)
- (informal) to have no chance at all
- She doesn't have a hope of winning.
- You don't have a hope in hell of finding a job.
not have a snowball’s chance in hell
- (informal) to have no chance at all
- There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I'll wear that thing!
play (merry) hell with something/somebody
- (British English, informal) to affect something/somebody badly
- Driving on these rough roads has played hell with my tyres.
raise hell
- (informal) to protest angrily, especially in a way that causes trouble for somebody
the road to hell is paved with good intentions
- (saying) it is not enough to intend to do good things; you must actually do them
scare, annoy, etc. the hell out of somebody
- (informal) to frighten, annoy, etc. somebody very much
to hell and back
- (informal) used to say that somebody has been through a difficult situation
- We'd been to hell and back together and we were still good friends.
to hell with somebody/something
- (informal) used to express anger or dislike and to say that you no longer care about somebody/something and will take no notice of them
- ‘To hell with him,’ she thought, ‘I'm leaving.’