hell

Etymology 1

From Middle English helle, from Old English hell, from Proto-West Germanic *hallju, from Proto-Germanic *haljō (“concealed place, netherworld”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, conceal, save”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälle (“hell”), West Frisian hel (“hell”), Dutch hel (“hell”), German Low German Hell (“hell”), German Hölle (“hell”), Norwegian helvete (“hell”), Icelandic hel (“the abode of the dead, death”). Also related to the Hel of Germanic mythology. See also hele.

noun

1. (countable, hyperbolic, figurative) A place or situation of great suffering in life.
   My new boss is making my job a hell.
   I went through hell to get home today.
   {{ux|en|callback hell; <table> hell; <div> hell|q=computer programming}}
   1879, General William T. Sherman, commencement address at the Michigan Military Academy There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell.
   Why, am I dying? / Kill, have no fear / Lie, live off lying / Hell, hell is here 1986, “Disposable Heroes”, in Metallica (music), Master of Puppets
2. (countable) A place for gambling.
   a convenient little gambling hell for those who had grown reckless 1877, William Black, Green Pastures and Piccadilly
3. (figurative) An extremely hot place.
   You don’t have a snowball's chance in hell.
4. (sometimes considered vulgar) Used as an intensifier in phrases grammatically requiring a noun.
   I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more.
   What the hell is wrong with you?!
   He says he’s going home early? Like hell he is.
5. (obsolete) A place into which a tailor throws shreds, or a printer discards broken type.
6. In certain games of chase, a place to which those who are caught are carried for detention.
7. (colloquial, with on) Something extremely painful or harmful (to)
   That steep staircase is hell on my knees.

intj

1. (impolite, sometimes considered vulgar) Used to express discontent, unhappiness, or anger.
   Oh, hell! I got another parking ticket.
2. (impolite, sometimes considered vulgar, non-productive) Used to emphasize.
   Hell, yeah!
3. (impolite, sometimes considered vulgar) Used to introduce an intensified statement following an understated one; nay; not only that, but.
   Do it, or, rest assured, there will be no more Middle Eastern crisis – hell, there will be no more Middle East!

adv

1. (postpositional) Alternative form of the hell or like hell.
2. (Australia, impolite, sometimes considered vulgar) Very; used to emphasize strongly.
   That was hell good!
   They're hell sexy.

verb

1. To make hellish; to place (someone) in hell; to make (a place) into a hell.
2. To hurry, rush.
   I had already lost thirteen points, all because she had to come helling in there at twelve, worrying me about that letter. 1929, William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

Etymology 2

From German hellen (“to brighten, burnish”). Related to Dutch hel (“clear, bright”) and German hell (“clear, bright”).

verb

1. (rare, metal-working) To add luster to; to burnish (silver or gold).
   To hell gold or gilt workː take two ounces of tartar, two ounces of sulfur.. and it will give it a fine luster. 1770, Godfrey Smith, The Laboratory: Or, School of Arts

Etymology 3

From Old Norse hella (“to pour”). Cognate with Icelandic hella (“to pour”), Norwegian helle (“to pour”), Swedish hälla (“to pour”). See also hield.

verb

1. (rare) To pour.
   18th century, unknown author, The Harvest or Bashful Shepherd Gosh, the sickle went into me handː Down hell'd the bluid.