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
- (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)
- (countable, hyperbolic, figuratively) A place or situation of great suffering in life.
- 1879, General William T. Sherman, commencement address at the Michigan Military Academy
- 1879, General William T. Sherman, commencement address at the Michigan Military Academy
- (countable) A place for gambling.
- (figuratively) An extremely hot place.
- (sometimes vulgar) Used as an intensifier in phrases grammatically requiring a noun.
- (obsolete) A place into which a tailor throws shreds, or a printer discards broken type.
- In certain games of chase, a place to which those who are caught are carried for detention.
- (colloquial, with on) Something extremely painful or harmful (to)
Derived terms
Translations
Interjection
hell
- (colloquial, sometimes vulgar) Used to express discontent, unhappiness, or anger.
- (colloquial, sometimes vulgar, non-productive) Used to emphasize.
- (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)
- (postpositional) Alternative form of the hell or like hell.
- (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)
- To make hellish; to place (someone) in hell; to make (a place) into a hell. [from 17th c.]
- To hurry, rush. [from 19th c.]
- (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)
- (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)
- (rare) To pour.
- 18th century, Josiah Relph, The Harvest; or Bashful Shepherd
- Gosh, the sickle went into me handː Down hell'd the bluid.
- 18th century, Josiah Relph, The Harvest; or Bashful Shepherd
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)
- skewer
- spear
- icicle
- (adverb) standing straight without moving
Cornish
Noun
hell
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- clear, bright
- light, pale
Declension
Middle English
Proper noun
hell
- Alternative form of helle
Noun
hell
- 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)
- luck
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
hell
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- (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)