hell

B2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /hɛl/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like hail /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/ Sounds like hale /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/

Freq #255

Meanings

1

noun
In some religions, a place of punishment where evil people are believed to go after death.

He was warned that sinners would go to hell.
2

noun
A situation that is extremely unpleasant or full of suffering.

The long illness made the last year a living hell.
3

noun
(informal) Used to make a statement or question stronger.

What the hell are you doing here so late?

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · in some religions, a place... inferno

2 noun · a situation that is... hell on earthhellhole

Word family

Forms hells

Derived forms behellgo-to-hellhell-benthell-bent-for-leatherhell-bornhell-brewedhell-diverhell-firehell-for-leatherhell-holehell-houndhell-raiser

Related forms damn heck

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.

helle Middle English hell Old English *hallju Proto-West Germanic *haljō Proto-Germanic *ḱel- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Register & Style

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# hell

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /hɛl/
**Frequency rank:** 255

## Meanings
1. In some religions, a place of punishment where evil people are believed to go after death.
2. A situation that is extremely unpleasant or full of suffering.
3. (informal) Used to make a statement or question stronger.

## Examples
- He was warned that sinners would go to hell.
- The long illness made the last year a living hell.
- What the hell are you doing here so late?

## Derived Forms
- behell
- go-to-hell
- hell-bent
- hell-bent-for-leather
- hell-born
- hell-brewed
- hell-diver
- hell-fire
- hell-for-leather
- hell-hole
- hell-hound
- hell-raiser

## Related Forms
- damn
- heck

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: helle
- Root: hell
- Root: *hallju
- Root: *haljō
- Root: *ḱel-

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Hell comes 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. In current use, the main senses are “In some religions, a place of punishment where evil people are believed to go after death” and “A situation that is extremely unpleasant or full of suffering”.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Register & Style

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