hellhound
Definition
Noun: 1. (Greek mythology) A monstrous three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the underworld (Hades). This creature, often named Cerberus, is the offspring of the monsters Typhon and Echidna. 2. A fiendishly cruel or wicked person. This usage figuratively compares a person's malevolence to that of a demonic beast.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Mythological Creature):
- In the myth, Hercules' final labor was to capture the hellhound.
- The gates of the ancient underworld were said to be patrolled by a fearsome hellhound.
- Noun (Evil Person):
- The dictator was described by his victims as a hellhound who showed no mercy.
- In the story, the villain was a true hellhound, leaving a trail of misery in his wake.
Advanced Usage
- Literary and Figurative Use: The term is primarily used in literary, mythological, or highly descriptive contexts to evoke extreme evil or menace. It is not common in everyday conversation.
- Poetry Example: "Grief, that hellhound, tracked him to his door."
Variants and Related Words
- Cerberus: The proper name for the specific hellhound of Greek myth.
- Hound of Hell: A descriptive phrase synonymous with "hellhound."
- Fiend: A general term for an evil spirit or a very wicked person.
- Monster: Can refer to a mythical creature or a person of great cruelty.
Synonyms
- For the mythological sense: Cerberus, guardian of Hades.
- For the person sense: fiend, monster, beast, demon, brute, savage.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Hounds of Hell: A plural form sometimes used to describe pursuing forces of evil or torment.
- He fled as if the hounds of hell were at his heels.
Noun
-
(Greek mythology) the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades; son of Typhon
-
a very evil man
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