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Hell Hel I Chance People Extra Examples Unpleasant

Word3 hell
WordType (noun)
Phonetic /hel/ /hel/
Example
  • he was terrified of going to hell when he died.
  • they were threatened with spending eternity in hell.
  • the last three months have been hell.
  • he went through hell during the trial.
Sound Online sound. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/media/english/us_pron/h/hel/hell_/hell__us_1.mp3
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hell

(noun)/hel/ /hel/
  1. 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.
    • They were threatened with spending eternity in hell.

    Extra Examples

    • Lava poured out of the volcano, glowing like the fires of hell.
    • tormented souls in hell
  2. a very unpleasant experience or situation in which people suffer very much
    • SEE ALSO living hell
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/living-hell
    • 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.
    • For the last few weeks my whole family has been in hell because of this.
    • Since she moved in, life has been hell for the other residents.
    • 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!
  3. 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.
    • ‘Do you understand?’ ‘Hell, no. I don't.’
  4. suddenly there was a lot of noise, arguing, fighting, etc.
    • There was a loud bang and then all hell broke loose.
  5. to hit somebody/something very hard
    • He was a dirty player and loved to kick hell out of the opposition.
  6. to annoy somebody very much
    • The song just bugs the hell out of me.
    • Those two idiots bug the shit out of me.
  7. to be punished or spoken to angrily about something
    • If your dad finds out you'll really catch hell!
  8. a lot of trouble
    • There'll be hell to pay when he finds out.
  9. just for fun; for no real reason
    • They stole the car just for the hell of it.
  10. 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.
  11. to leave a place very quickly
    • Let's get the hell out of here.
  12. 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).
  13. to shout at or speak angrily to somebody
    • Dad will give us hell when he sees that mess.
  14. to get into a very bad state
    • This firm's gone to hell in a handbasket since the new management took over.
  15. as quickly as possible
    • to ride hell for leather
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. despite any difficulties
    • I was determined to go, come hell or high water.
  19. used to express anger or surprise
    • Hell’s teeth, I promised I’d be back by two.
  20. very fast
    • She was driving like a bat out of hell.
  21. used for emphasis
    • She worked like hell for her exams.
    • My broken finger hurt like hell.
  22. 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).’
  23. to have no chance at all
  24. 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.
  25. to have no chance at all
    • There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I'll wear that thing!
  26. to affect something/somebody badly
    • Driving on these rough roads has played hell with my tyres.
  27. to protest angrily, especially in a way that causes trouble for somebody
  28. it is not enough to intend to do good things; you must actually do them
  29. to frighten, annoy, etc. somebody very much
  30. 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.
  31. 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.’

    Word Origin

    • Old English hel, hell, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hel and German Hölle, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to cover or hide’.
Copyright This card's content is collected from the following dictionaries: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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