inferno

[ in-fur-noh; Italian een-fer-naw ]

noun

, plural in·fer·nos.

1. hell; the infernal regions.
2. a place or region that resembles hell:

   The ironworks was an inferno of molten steel and half-naked bodies.

   Synonyms: oven, hellhole, furnace

3. (initial capital letter, italics) the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy, depicting hell and the suffering of the damned. Compare paradise ( def 7 ), purgatory ( def 2 ).

inferno

/ ɪnˈfɜːnəʊ /

noun

1. the inferno
   sometimes capital hell; the infernal region
2. any place or state resembling hell, esp a conflagration

Inferno

1. The first section of The Divine Comedy, by Dante . Inferno is the Italian word for “ hell .”

Notes

By extension, an “inferno” is a hot and terrible place or condition.

Word History and Origins

Origin of inferno¹

1825–35; < Italian < Late Latin infernus hell, noun use of Latin infernus; infernal

Word History and Origins

Origin of inferno¹

C19: from Italian, from Late Latin infernus hell

Example Sentences

“The Towering Inferno” was the first movie poster I ever bought.

From Salon

In the 1970s, he clinched notable parts on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and in the feature films “Downhill Racer” and “The Towering Inferno.”

From Los Angeles Times

There is more dancing, when Lange and Parsons burn, baby, burn in a duet set to “Disco Inferno.”

From New York Times

If anything, Simpson’s star shone even brighter after football with steady work as a sportscaster, a commercial pitchman — darting across airports — and roles in films such as “The Towering Inferno” and “The Naked Gun.”

From Los Angeles Times

He snagged roles in "Roots," "The Klansman" and "The Towering Inferno."

From Salon

Related Words

• purgatory