Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely evil, cruel, or wicked; characteristic of hell or its inhabitants: Describing something profoundly malevolent, morally abhorrent, or resembling the traditional concept of hell.
   • Extremely unpleasant, awful, or disagreeable: Used informally to describe something that is very bad, difficult, or annoying.

Examples of Usage

• Describing extreme evil or cruelty:
  • The dictator was known for his hellish treatment of political prisoners.
  • They uncovered evidence of hellish rituals at the ancient site.
• Describing extreme unpleasantness:
  • We drove through hellish traffic for two hours.
  • She had a hellish week at work with back-to-back deadlines.

Advanced Usage

• "a hellish noise": an extremely loud, unpleasant, or jarring sound.
  • The construction next door is making a hellish noise.
• "hellish conditions": circumstances that are extremely difficult, dangerous, or uncomfortable.
  • The refugees survived in hellish conditions with little food or water.

Variants and Related Words

• Hellishly (adverb): in an extremely evil or unpleasant manner; to an extreme degree.
  • The summer has been hellishly hot this year.
• Hellishness (noun): the quality or state of being hellish.
  • The hellishness of the war was documented by journalists.

Synonyms

• Diabolical: belonging to or so evil as to recall the Devil.
• Fiendish: extremely cruel or unpleasant.
• Infernal: relating to or characteristic of hell; (informal) damned, annoying.
• Demonic: relating to or characteristic of demons or evil spirits.
• Awful: very bad or unpleasant.

Antonyms

• Heavenly: of or resembling heaven; supremely blissful.
• Angelic: relating to or resembling angels, especially in being innocent, virtuous, or beautiful.
• Pleasant: giving a sense of happy satisfaction or enjoyment.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A living hell: a situation or experience that is extremely unpleasant or painful.
  • His illness made the last few months a living hell.
• Go through hell (and high water): to endure a very difficult or painful experience.
  • She went through hell to get that degree while working full-time. (Note: These idioms use the base word "hell," not the adjective "hellish.")

Adjective

1. extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell
   • something demonic in him--something that could be cruel
   • fires lit up a diabolic scene
   • diabolical sorcerers under the influence of devils
   • a fiendish despot
   • hellish torture
   • infernal instruments of war
   • satanic cruelty
   • unholy grimaces
2. very unpleasant
   • hellish weather
   • stop that god-awful racket