hellish

[ hel-ish ]

adjective

1. of, like, or suitable to hell; infernal; vile; horrible:

   It was a hellish war.

2. miserable; abominable; execrable:

   We had a hellish time getting through traffic.

3. devilishly bad:

   The child's behavior was hellish most of the day.

hellish

/ ˈhɛlɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or resembling hell
2. wicked; cruel
3. informal.
   very difficult or unpleasant

adverb

1. informal.
   (intensifier)

   a hellish good idea

Derived Forms

• ˈhellishly, adverb
• ˈhellishness, noun

Other Words From

• hellish·ly adverb
• hellish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hellish¹

First recorded in 1520–30; hell + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

The fact the lodge and most of the nearby resort escaped the hellish firestorm is a testament to the work of Smith’s team and firefighters.

From Los Angeles Times

That includes telling people to stay out for a week or two when the foliage is bone-dry and another hellish heat wave appears in the weather forecast.

From Los Angeles Times

I’d met him two months prior on my hellish moving day that commenced in Orange County, just as the sun set and darkness crept in.

From Los Angeles Times

On the new tour, he’s working out a joke about a hellish experience at last year’s Oscars, falling down what he said felt like 33 flights of stairs while wearing his tuxedo.

From Los Angeles Times

But these steps may only be delaying the inevitable: Many North Koreans don’t buy the Kim regime’s indoctrination, which risibly portrays North Korea as being a “utopia surrounded by a hellish outside world.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• horrible
• infernal
• terrible