hell

hell

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of hell in English

English Online Dictionary. What means hell‎? What does hell mean?

English

Alternative forms

  • Hell (proper noun)
  • hel, helle (obsolete)

Pronunciation

  • enPR: hĕl, IPA(key): /hɛl/
  • Rhymes: -ɛl

Etymology 1

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

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
Synonyms
  • See Thesaurus:afterlife
Translations

Noun

hell (countable and uncountable, plural hells)

  1. (countable, hyperbolic, figuratively) A place or situation of great suffering in life.
    • 1879, General William T. Sherman, commencement address at the Michigan Military Academy
  2. (countable) A place for gambling.
  3. (figuratively) An extremely hot place.
  4. (sometimes vulgar) Used as an intensifier in phrases grammatically requiring a noun.
  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)
Derived terms
Translations

Interjection

hell

  1. (colloquial, sometimes vulgar) Used to express discontent, unhappiness, or anger.
  2. (colloquial, sometimes vulgar, non-productive) Used to emphasize.
  3. (colloquial, sometimes vulgar) Used to introduce an intensified statement following an understated one; nay; not only that, but.
Derived terms
  • hell's bells
  • hell no
  • hells
  • hell yes, hell yeah, hells yeah
  • oh hell
Translations
See also
  • damn
  • heck

Adverb

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

Verb

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.]
  3. (intransitive) To move quickly and loudly; to raise hell as part of motion.

Etymology 2

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

Verb

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).

Etymology 3

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

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

Etymology

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

Noun

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

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

Cornish

Noun

hell

  1. Aspirate mutation of kell.

Estonian

Etymology

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

Adjective

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

  1. tender, gentle

Declension

German

Etymology

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

  • IPA(key): /hɛl/

Adjective

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:

Declension

Derived terms

  • hellhörig
  • hellsichtig
  • hellwach

Related terms

  • sternenhell
  • taghell

Further reading

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

Luxembourgish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hæl/
  • Rhymes: -æl
  • Homophone: Häll

Adjective

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

  1. clear, bright
  2. light, pale

Declension

Middle English

Proper noun

hell

  1. Alternative form of helle

Noun

hell

  1. Alternative form of helle

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse heill.

Noun

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

  1. luck

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

hell

  1. imperative of helle

Further reading

  • “hell” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Ultimately from Old Norse heill.

Noun

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

  1. luck

Further reading

  • “hell” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

  • hel

Etymology

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

Compare German hell (light).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xell/, [heɫ]

Noun

hell f

  1. hell

Declension

Derived terms

  • hellcund
  • helldor (gate of hell)
  • hellefȳr (hellfire)
  • hellrūn (sorceress)
  • hellewīte
  • hellehund (hellhound)

Descendants

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

Swedish

Etymology

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

Interjection

hell

  1. (archaic) hail (exclamation or greeting)

Derived terms

  • hell seger (Sieg Heil)

References

  • hell in Svensk ordbok (SO)
  • hell in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
  • hell in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
  • hell in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.