as in horrible
of, resembling, or befitting hell We've been having hellish weather lately. The battlefield was a hellish scene of death and destruction.
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hellish But there are also surreal, haunting touches – a pair of boots nailed to a tree; a dead man's return; a hellish horizon in flames – that show the past's grip on the imagination. —
David Morgan, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026 That’s where development became kind of a hellish thing for me and Ryan. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026 The hellish scenes in Tehran were emblematic of the direct link between this war, energy infrastructure and global markets. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026 The news site Deadspin took clips of different anchors intoning the same words and laid them over one another to make a hellish cacophony. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hellish
David Morgan, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026 That’s where development became kind of a hellish thing for me and Ryan. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026 The hellish scenes in Tehran were emblematic of the direct link between this war, energy infrastructure and global markets. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026 The news site Deadspin took clips of different anchors intoning the same words and laid them over one another to make a hellish cacophony. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hellish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellish
Adjective
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On that horrible day, Dad was outside his vehicle supervising a ditch cleaning operation when a driver ignored traffic control devices, drove through a closed lane, and struck him, pinning him between two vehicles.— Allysson Bornt, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
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And every family has that annoying uncle that makes horrible jokes or one situation after another.— Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But in the same vein as the Jets, that guy doesn't exist at the top of the board and the Cardinals also desperately need to improve on their awful pass rush (tied for third-fewest sacks in the NFL).— Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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Bullying is this awful ostracization of people who don’t deserve it.— Mac Engel April 20, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen had a dreadful Game 2 before giving way to Lyon in the third period.— Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
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The Knicks were dreadful in nearly every facet of the loss, but none more critical than at the free-throw line (New York went 17-for-27), first-half turnovers (the Knicks had eight) and poor 3-point shooting (New York hit just 11 of 34).— Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
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The hideous prospect of interviewing for jobs even more pointless than this one appears before me.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Andi's heart gave a single, sickening jolt that emptied her lungs.— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
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In a sickening moment broadcast live after Boyes’s shot missed, Long moved quickly about, shooting many hostages.— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in Kristoffer Borgli’s rug-pull rom-com, which follows a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a shocking revelation.— Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
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The series abruptly concluded with Lois' shocking pregnancy news and Malcolm just starting his freshman year at Harvard.— Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/hellish. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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