What does hellish mean?
Hellish is an adjective for something so evil, cruel, or wicked that it evokes the torments of Hell. It can also be used more informally for anything exceptionally unpleasant, painful, or difficult, as in “a hellish commute.” The word is emphatically negative and often hyperbolic: a speaker calling a delayed train hellish is expressing exasperation, while describing an act as hellish implies exceptional moral horror. Although the basic sense “of or like Hell” is clear from its name, modern usage more often concerns cruelty, brutality, or severe discomfort. The adjective appears in both formal and informal English, but its figurative sense is especially common in speech. Hellish is related to the older noun hell, and the related forms hellishly and hellishness are occasionally used. Its value lies in its intensity: it turns a simple criticism into a vivid judgment while making clear that the speaker regards the situation as extreme.
adjectiveCharacterized by extreme evil, cruelty, or brutality; used figuratively for something exceptionally unpleasant or difficult.
- Extremely evil, cruel, wicked, or brutal.
- Extremely unpleasant, painful, or difficult, especially in informal contexts.
- Of, resembling, or associated with Hell or its torments.
"The prisoners endured hellish conditions in the overcrowded cells."
"The attack was described as a hellish act of cruelty."
"We queued in the rain for what turned out to be a hellish journey."
Hellish began as a literal description of anything associated with Hell, but it is now also a convenient way to condemn a truly awful commute.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hellish come from?
Hellish was formed in the early 17th century from the older noun hell and the suffix -ish. Its base is Old English hel, a Germanic word for the realm of the dead that later became associated with the Christian underworld. The adjective initially expressed a literal similarity to Hell before developing figurative meanings involving extreme wickedness, cruelty, and unpleasantness. Its formation parallels related Germanic forms such as German höllisch and Dutch hellisch.
Related word forms
How hellish is actually used
The word is strongly negative and often hyperbolic. It is common in informal speech for severe inconvenience or discomfort, while moral and cruel uses of it are more emphatic. Its figurative intensifying sense is not regionally restricted.