# hell

/ˈhɛɫ/ (US) · /hˈɛl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hell
Updated: 2026-07-09

## Senses

### 1. place of punishment

noun · CEFR B1

in some religions, the place where bad people are punished after they die.

For teachers: the place or state of punishment for the wicked after death in various religious traditions.

- The preacher spoke about the difference between heaven and hell.
- Dante's Inferno provides a vivid and structured literary depiction of hell, categorising various sins into specific circles of punishment.

### 2. suffering in life

noun · CEFR B2

a very unpleasant or painful situation in real life.

For teachers: a state or place of great suffering, misery, or unhappiness.

- The last few weeks of the project were absolute hell because of the deadlines.
- Living in a war zone was a living hell for the civilians who were unable to escape the constant shelling.

### 3. intensifier

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Vulgar

used in phrases like 'what the hell' to show you are surprised, angry, or don't care.

For teachers: used as an intensifier in various idiomatic constructions to express anger, disgust, or emphasis.

- What the hell are you doing with my car?
- He wondered where the hell he had left his passport after searching every drawer in the house twice.

Usage: Often follows 'wh-' question words like 'what', 'where', or 'who'.

Teaching tip: While common in movies, this can be offensive in professional or polite settings; 'heck' is a milder alternative.

### 4. expression of anger

interjection · CEFR B2 · Informal · Vulgar

a word you shout when you are annoyed or frustrated.

For teachers: an exclamation used to express irritation, disappointment, or surprise.

- Oh hell, I've forgotten my keys again.
- Hell, I didn't expect the repairs to be that expensive.

Teaching tip: In many modern contexts, this is considered a mild swear word, but it should still be avoided in formal speech.

### 5. to move fast

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Slang

to move or drive very quickly and often dangerously.

For teachers: to move at high speed, often in a reckless or noisy manner.

- The motorbike went helling down the street in the middle of the night.
- The teenagers spent the evening helling around the car park in their modified hatchbacks.

Usage: Usually followed by a preposition of direction like 'down' or 'around'.

## Examples

- The traffic during rush hour was absolute hell.
- After the factory closed down, the town went through a decade of economic hell as unemployment rates soared.
- The poet's vivid descriptions of a frozen, silent hell challenged the traditional imagery of fire and brimstone that had dominated the public imagination for centuries.

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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.