ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hell week

idiom
Meaning

The week during which new members are required to undergo undignified rites of initiation or gruelling discipline in order to be accepted into a fraternity, sorority, secret society, military group, etc.


Examples
SIMPLE

The new recruits dread hell week every year.

CONTEXTUAL

The fraternity members forced the pledges to complete several difficult tasks during their hell week.

COMPLEX

After enduring the relentless physical and mental exhaustion of hell week, the candidates finally earned their place within the elite military unit.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a week from next Tuesday

    Some unspecified time in the future.

  2. 02

    a week is a long time in politics

    In politics, much change can occur in a short space of time.

  3. 03

    all hell breaks loose

    The situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.

  4. 04

    catch hell

    To be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.

  5. 05

    cold day in Hell

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

  6. 06

    come hell or high water

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

  7. 07

    flavor of the week

    A fad; someone or something that is held in esteem or receives attention for a short amount of time.

  8. 08

    forty minutes of hell

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

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