Word
brimstone
Phoneticsbrim·stone, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɹɪmstoʊn/
UK/bɹˈɪmstəʊn/
Definitions
01hell and punishment
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Religion Literary
n. the fire and bad smells of hell, often mentioned in religious warnings.
n. the sulfurous fire of hell, typically used in the phrase 'fire and brimstone' to describe passionate religious preaching about damnation.
“The preacher spoke about fire and brimstone to frighten the people into being good.”
“The evangelist was famous for his fire and brimstone sermons, which vividly depicted the eternal torments awaiting unrepentant sinners.”
Usage
Commonly occurs in the fixed binomial 'fire and brimstone'.
02sulfur
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Archaic · Technical
n. an old name for the chemical element sulfur.
n. the chemical element sulfur in its solid, yellow form.
“The old book described how to mix charcoal with brimstone to make powder.”
“Early alchemical texts frequently refer to brimstone as one of the primary substances required for the transmutation of base metals.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the substance; countable uses are rare and restricted to historical texts.
Synonyms
03a type of butterfly
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical
n. a bright yellow butterfly found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
n. a pierid butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) characterized by its distinctive pale yellow or greenish-yellow wings.
“We saw a bright yellow brimstone flying over the flowers in the garden.”
“The common brimstone is often one of the first butterflies to emerge from hibernation in early spring.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“She discussed religion in interviews throughout her career, as well as in her 1994 memoir , where she recounted her maternal grandfather, a fundamentalist pastor, preaching hellfire and brimstone.” “Imperious yet lyrical in the opening movement, Lamsma brought a whiff of brimstone to the whirligig scherzo with a cadenza that exuded pure witchcraft.” Etymology
From Middle English brymston, brimston, bremston, forms of brinston, brenston, bernston, from Old English brynstān (“brimstone”, literally “burn-stone”), equivalent to brian + stone, or burn + stone. Cognate with Scots brunstane (“brimstone”), Icelandic brennisteinn (“sulfur / sulphur, brimstone”), German Bernstein (“amber”). Compare also brimfire. More at burn, stone. Although once a synonym for sulfur, the word is now largely restricted to poetic and Biblical usage.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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