English Reference
Idiom idiom

hell from above


A powerful bombardment of projectiles from above, especially in the context of war.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“The soldiers faced hell from above during the air raid.”

CONTEXTUAL

“As the enemy planes appeared, the troops scrambled for cover to escape the hell from above.”

COMPLEX

“The infantry remained pinned in the trenches, enduring a relentless hell from above as the heavy artillery fire rained down upon their position.”


disputed origin

From hell + from + above. The term is possibly inspired by a bombardment of arrows, or similar forms of archery and artillery, though the specific historical moment of its coinage remains unverified.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all hell breaks loose

    The situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.

  2. 02

    all over hell's half acre

    All over the place; everywhere.

  3. 03

    catch hell

    To be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

  4. 04

    cold day in Hell

    The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

  5. 05

    come hell or high water

    Regardless of the hardships; no matter what difficulties may arise.

  6. 06

    forty minutes of hell

    The NCAA strategy of playing a suffocating full-court press and aggressive offense for the entirety of a game.

  7. 07

    fucking hell

    An exclamation of great surprise.

  8. 08

    give someone hell

    To castigate someone; to dress them down.

Last updated August 10, 2026