hell (hells plural )
1 n-proper; n-count In some religions, hell is the place where the Devil lives, and where wicked people are sent to be punished when they die. Hell is usually imagined as being under the ground and full of flames.
2 n-var If you say that a particular situation or place is hell, you are emphasizing that it is extremely unpleasant., (emphasis)
(=misery)
...the hell of the Siberian labor camps...
3 exclam Hell is used by some people when they are angry or excited, or when they want to emphasize what they are saying., (emphasis)
`Hell, no!' the doctor snapped.
4 You can use as hell after adjectives or some adverbs to emphasize the adjective or adverb.
INFORMAL
as hell phrase adj PHR (emphasis)
The men might be armed, but they sure as hell weren't trained...
5 If you say that a place or a situation is hell on earth or a hell on earth, you are emphasizing that it is extremely unpleasant or that it causes great suffering.
hell on earth phrase oft v-link PHR (emphasis)
(=living hell)
She believed she would die in the snake-infested sand dunes. She said: `It was hell on earth'.
6 If someone does something for the hell of it, or just for the hell of it, they do it for fun or for no particular reason.
INFORMAL
for the hell of it phrase usu PHR with cl, PHR after v, n PHR
Managers seem to be spending millions just for the hell of it.
7 You can use from hell after a noun when you are emphasizing that something or someone is extremely unpleasant or evil.
INFORMAL
from hell phrase n PHR (emphasis)
He's a child from hell...
8 If you tell someone to go to hell, you are angrily telling them to go away and leave you alone.
INFORMAL, RUDE
go to hell phrase
(feelings)
`Well, you can go to hell!' He swept out of the room.
9 If you say that someone can go to hell, you are emphasizing angrily that you do not care about them and that they will not stop you doing what you want.
INFORMAL, RUDE
go to hell phrase
(emphasis)
Peter can go to hell. It's my money and I'll leave it to who I want...
10 If you say that someone is goinghell for leather, you are emphasizing that they are doing something or are moving very quickly and perhaps carelessly.
INFORMAL
hell for leather phrase usu v PHR (emphasis)
The first horse often goes hell for leather, hits a few fences but gets away with it...
11 Some people say like hell to emphasize that they strongly disagree with you or are strongly opposed to what you say.
INFORMAL
like hell phrase usu PHR cl (emphasis)
`I'll go myself.'—`Like hell you will!'
12 Some people use like hell to emphasize how strong an action or quality is.
INFORMAL
like hell phrase PHR after v (emphasis)
It hurts like hell...
13 If you describe a place or situation as a living hell, you are emphasizing that it is extremely unpleasant.
INFORMAL
living hell phrase v-link PHR (emphasis)
School is a living hell for some children.
14 If you say that all hell breaks loose, you are emphasizing that a lot of arguing or fighting suddenly starts.
INFORMAL
all hell breaks loose phrase V inflects (emphasis)
He had an affair, I found out and then all hell broke loose.
15 If you talk about a hell of a lot of something, or one hell of a lot of something, you mean that there is a large amount of it.
INFORMAL
a/one hell of a lot phrase usu PHR of n/-ing (emphasis)
The manager took a hell of a lot of money out of the club.
16 Some people use a hell of or one hell of to emphasize that something is very good, very bad, or very big.
INFORMAL
a/one hell of phrase PHR n (emphasis)
Whatever the outcome, it's going to be one hell of a fight.
17 Some people use the hell out of for emphasis after verbs such as `scare', `irritate', and `beat'.
INFORMAL
the hell out of phrase v PHR n (emphasis)
I patted the top of her head in the condescending way I knew irritated the hell out of her...
18 If you say there'll be hell to pay, you are emphasizing that there will be serious trouble.
INFORMAL
there'll be hell to pay phrase V inflects (emphasis)
There would be hell to pay when Ferguson and Tony found out about it.
19 To play hellwith something means to have a bad effect on it or cause great confusion. In British English, you can also say that one person or thing plays merry hellwith another.
INFORMAL
play hell/play merry hell phrase V inflects, usu PHR with n
Lord Beaverbrook, to put it bluntly, played hell with the war policy of the R.A.F...
20 If you say that someone raises hell, you are emphasizing that they protest strongly and angrily about a situation in order to persuade other people to correct it or improve it.
INFORMAL
raise hell phrase V inflects (emphasis)
The only way to preserve democracy is to raise hell about its shortcomings.
21 People sometimes use the hell for emphasis in questions, after words such as `what', `where', and `why', often in order to express anger.
INFORMAL, RUDE
the hell phrase quest PHR (emphasis)
Where the hell have you been?...
22 If you go through hell, or if someone puts you through hell, you have a very difficult or unpleasant time.
INFORMAL
go through hell phrase V inflects
All of you seem to have gone through hell making this record...
23 If you say you hope to hell or wish to hellthat something is true, you are emphasizing that you strongly hope or wish it is true.
INFORMAL
hope to hell/wish to hell phrase V inflects, PHR that (emphasis)
I hope to hell you're right.
24 If you say that you will do something come hell or high water, you are emphasizing that you are determined to do it, in spite of the difficulties involved.
come hell or high water phrase usu PHR after v (emphasis)
I've always managed to get into work come hell or high water.
25 You can say `what the hell' when you decide to do something in spite of the doubts that you have about it.
INFORMAL
what the hell phrase
(feelings)
What the hell, I thought, at least it will give the lazy old man some exercise.
26 If you say `to hell with' something, you are emphasizing that you do not care about something and that it will not stop you from doing what you want to do.
INFORMAL
to hell with phrase PHR n (emphasis)
To hell with this, I'm getting out of here...
