hell

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See also: he'll, Hell, and héll

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • enPR: hĕl, IPA(key): /hɛl/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (UK):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛl

Etymology 1

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From Middle English helle, from Old English hell, from Proto-West Germanic *hallju, from Proto-Germanic *haljō (“concealed place, netherworld”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, conceal, save”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälle (“hell”), West Frisian hel (“hell”), Dutch hel (“hell”), German Low German Hell (“hell”), German Hölle (“hell”), Norwegian helvete (“hell”), Icelandic hel (“the abode of the dead, death”). Also related to the Hel of Germanic mythology. See also hele.

Proper noun

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hell

  1. (in many religions, uncountable) A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death.
    Antonym: heaven
    May you rot in hell!
Synonyms
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Translations
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Noun

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hell (countable and uncountable, plural hells)

  1. (countable, hyperbolic, figuratively) A place or situation of great suffering in life.
    My new boss is making my job a hell.
    I went through hell to get home today.
    callback hell; <table> hell; <div> hell (computer programming)
    • 1879, General William T. Sherman, commencement address at the Michigan Military Academy
      There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell.
    • 1986, “Disposable Heroes”, in Metallica (music), Master of Puppets:
      Why, am I dying? / Kill, have no fear / Lie, live off lying / Hell, hell is here
    • 2024 May 8, Damian Carrington, “‘Hopeless and broken’: why the world’s top climate scientists are in despair. World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target”, in The Guardian, UK:
      So how do the scientists cope with their work being ignored for decades, and living in a world their findings indicate is on a “highway to hell”?.
  2. (countable) A place for gambling.
  3. (figuratively) An extremely hot place.
    You don’t have a snowball's chance in hell.
  4. (sometimes vulgar) Used as an intensifier in phrases grammatically requiring a noun.
    I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more.
    What the hell is wrong with you?!
    He says he’s going home early? Like hell he is.
  5. (obsolete) A place into which a tailor throws shreds, or a printer discards broken type.
  6. In certain games of chase, a place to which those who are caught are carried for detention.
  7. (colloquial, with on) Something extremely painful or harmful (to)
    That steep staircase is hell on my knees.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Interjection

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hell

  1. (colloquial, sometimes vulgar) Used to express discontent, unhappiness, or anger.
    Oh, hell! I got another parking ticket.
    • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
      O hell! what have we here?
      A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
      There is a written scroll! […]
  2. (colloquial, sometimes vulgar, non-productive) Used to emphasize.
    Hell, yeah!
  3. (colloquial, sometimes vulgar) Used to introduce an intensified statement following an understated one; nay; not only that, but.
    Do it, or, rest assured, there will be no more Middle Eastern crisis – hell, there will be no more Middle East!
Derived terms
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Translations
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See also
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Adverb

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hell (not comparable)

  1. (postpositional) Alternative form of the hell or like hell.
  2. (Australia, New Zealand, colloquial, sometimes vulgar) Very; used to emphasize strongly.
    Synonym: hella
    That was hell good!
    They're hell sexy.

Verb

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hell (third-person singular simple present hells, present participle helling, simple past and past participle helled)

  1. To make hellish; to place (someone) in hell; to make (a place) into a hell. [from 17th c.]
  2. To hurry, rush. [from 19th c.]
    • 1929, William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury:
      I had already lost thirteen points, all because she had to come helling in there at twelve, worrying me about that letter.
  3. (intransitive) To move quickly and loudly; to raise hell as part of motion.
    He was helling down the road with his radio blaring.

Etymology 2

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From German hellen (“to brighten, burnish”). Related to Dutch hel (“clear, bright”) and German hell (“clear, bright”).

Verb

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hell (third-person singular simple present hells, present participle helling, simple past and past participle helled)

  1. (rare, metal-working) To add luster to; to burnish (silver or gold).
    • 1770, Godfrey Smith, The Laboratory: Or, School of Arts:
      To hell gold or gilt workː take two ounces of tartar, two ounces of sulfur.. and it will give it a fine luster.

Etymology 3

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From Middle English hellen, from Old Norse hella (“to pour”), from Proto-Germanic *halþijaną (“to incline, tip; to pour out, empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to lean, incline”). Cognate with Icelandic hella (“to pour”), Norwegian helle (“to pour”), Swedish hälla (“to pour”). See also English hield.

Verb

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hell (third-person singular simple present hells, present participle helling, simple past and past participle helled)

  1. (rare) To pour.
    • 18th century, Josiah Relph, The Harvest; or Bashful Shepherd
      Gosh, the sickle went into me handː Down hell'd the bluid.

Albanian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Albanian *skōla, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kol- (“stake”); compare Lithuanian kuõlas, Polish kół, Ancient Greek σκύλος (skúlos).

Noun

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hell m (plural heje, definite helli, definite plural hejet)

  1. skewer
  2. spear
  3. icicle
  4. (adverb) standing straight without moving

Cornish

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Noun

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hell

  1. Aspirate mutation of kell.

Estonian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Finnic *hellä. Cognate to Finnish hellä and Votic elle.

Adjective

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hell (genitive hella, partitive hella, comparative hellem, superlative kõige hellem)

  1. tender, gentle

Declension

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Declension of hell (ÕS type 22i/külm, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative hell hellad
accusative nom.
gen. hella
genitive hellade
partitive hella helli
hellasid
illative hella
hellasse 		helladesse
hellisse
inessive hellas hellades
hellis
elative hellast helladest
hellist
allative hellale helladele
hellile
adessive hellal helladel
hellil
ablative hellalt helladelt
hellilt
translative hellaks helladeks
helliks
terminative hellani helladeni
essive hellana helladena
abessive hellata helladeta
comitative hellaga helladega

German

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FWOTD – 3 September 2014

Etymology

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From Middle High German hel (“resounding, loud, shining, bright”), from Old High German hel (“resounding”), from Proto-Germanic *halliz (“resounding”), from Proto-Germanic *hellaną (“to resound, make a sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, make noise”). Cognate with Dutch hel.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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hell (strong nominative masculine singular heller, comparative heller, superlative am hellsten)

  1. clear, bright, light
    Antonym: dunkel
    • 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Orgelpfeifen, in: Zwei Erzählungen, Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 9:
      So dunkel und schauerlich die Gruft aussah, wenn man durch die blinden, bestaubten Scheibchen der kleinen Fenster hineinblickte, so hell und freundlich war oben die Kirche.
      Just as dark and eerie the crypt looked like, if one looked in it through the cloudy, dusted little panes of the small windows, as bright and friendly was the church above.

Declension

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Positive forms of hell
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist hell sie ist hell es ist hell sie sind hell
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative heller helle helles helle
genitive hellen heller hellen heller
dative hellem heller hellem hellen
accusative hellen helle helles helle
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der helle die helle das helle die hellen
genitive des hellen der hellen des hellen der hellen
dative dem hellen der hellen dem hellen den hellen
accusative den hellen die helle das helle die hellen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein heller eine helle ein helles (keine) hellen
genitive eines hellen einer hellen eines hellen (keiner) hellen
dative einem hellen einer hellen einem hellen (keinen) hellen
accusative einen hellen eine helle ein helles (keine) hellen
Comparative forms of hell
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist heller sie ist heller es ist heller sie sind heller
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative hellerer hellere helleres hellere
genitive helleren hellerer helleren hellerer
dative hellerem hellerer hellerem helleren
accusative helleren hellere helleres hellere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der hellere die hellere das hellere die helleren
genitive des helleren der helleren des helleren der helleren
dative dem helleren der helleren dem helleren den helleren
accusative den helleren die hellere das hellere die helleren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein hellerer eine hellere ein helleres (keine) helleren
genitive eines helleren einer helleren eines helleren (keiner) helleren
dative einem helleren einer helleren einem helleren (keinen) helleren
accusative einen helleren eine hellere ein helleres (keine) helleren
Superlative forms of hell
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am hellsten sie ist am hellsten es ist am hellsten sie sind am hellsten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative hellster hellste hellstes hellste
genitive hellsten hellster hellsten hellster
dative hellstem hellster hellstem hellsten
accusative hellsten hellste hellstes hellste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der hellste die hellste das hellste die hellsten
genitive des hellsten der hellsten des hellsten der hellsten
dative dem hellsten der hellsten dem hellsten den hellsten
accusative den hellsten die hellste das hellste die hellsten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein hellster eine hellste ein hellstes (keine) hellsten
genitive eines hellsten einer hellsten eines hellsten (keiner) hellsten
dative einem hellsten einer hellsten einem hellsten (keinen) hellsten
accusative einen hellsten eine hellste ein hellstes (keine) hellsten

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • “hell” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • “hell” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • “hell” in Duden online

Luxembourgish

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Etymology

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From Old High German hel, related to the verb hellan, from Proto-Germanic *hellaną (“to resound”). Cognate with German helle, Dutch hel.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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hell (masculine hellen, neuter hellt, comparative méi hell, superlative am hellsten)

  1. clear, bright
  2. light, pale

Declension

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declension of hell
number and gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative hien ass hell si ass hell et ass hell si si(nn) hell
nominative /
accusative 		attributive and/or after determiner hellen hell hellt hell
independent without determiner helles heller
dative after any declined word hellen heller hellen hellen
as first declined word hellem hellem

Middle English

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Proper noun

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hell

  1. Alternative form of helle

Noun

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hell

  1. Alternative form of helle

Norwegian Bokmål

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Etymology 1

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From Old Norse heill.

Noun

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hell n (definite singular hellet, indefinite plural hell, definite plural hella or hellene)

  1. luck

Etymology 2

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

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hell

  1. imperative of helle

Further reading

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology

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Ultimately from Old Norse heill.

Noun

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hell n (definite singular hellet, indefinite plural hell, definite plural hella)

  1. luck

Further reading

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Old English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *hallju, from Proto-Germanic *haljō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, hide, conceal”).

Compare German hell (“light”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hell f

  1. hell

Declension

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Declension of hell (strong ō-stem)
Case Singular Plural
nominative hell hella, helle
accusative helle hella, helle
genitive helle hella
dative helle hellum

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: helle, hel, hell, hælle
    • English: hell, Hell
    • Scots: hell, Hell

Swedish

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Etymology

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From Old Swedish heel, from Old Norse heill (“good omen, luck”, literally “whole, healthy”). Doublet of hel.

Interjection

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hell

  1. (archaic) hail (exclamation or greeting)

Derived terms

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References

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