# hell week

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hell-week
Updated: 2026-08-10

## 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

- The new recruits dread hell week every year.
- The fraternity members forced the pledges to complete several difficult tasks during their hell week.
- After enduring the relentless physical and mental exhaustion of hell week, the candidates finally earned their place within the elite military unit.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.