hell

See also: he'll, Hell, and héll

English

Alternative forms

(Christianity): Hell
hel (17th century)
helle

Pronunciation

enPR: hĕl, IPA^(key): /hɛl/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (UK) (file)
Rhymes: -ɛl

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.

Proper noun

hell

(in many religions, uncountable) A place of torment where some or all sinners and evil spirits are believed to go after death.
May you rot in hell!
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Proverbs 23:14:
  Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
- 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:
  Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 228728136, Act III, page 39:
  Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, / Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman ſcorn'd.
- 1916, James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man:
  Hell is a strait and dark and foul-smelling prison, an abode of demons and lost souls, filled with fire and smoke.

Synonyms

See Thesaurus:afterlife

Antonyms

(in many religions, uncountable): heaven

Translations

abode for the condemned

Afrikaans: hel
Aghwan: 𐔲𐔴𐕆𐔴𐕎𐔰 (gehena)
Albanian: ferr (sq), skëterrë (sq)
Arabic: جَهَنَّم‎ f (jahannam), جَحِيم‎ m (jaḥīm)
Egyptian Arabic: جهنّم‎ f (gahannam)
Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܓܝܗܢܐ‎ f (gêhannā)
Armenian: դժոխք (hy) (džoxkʿ)
Assamese: নৰক (norok)
Asturian: infiernu m
Avar: жужахӏ (žužaḥʳ)
Avestan: 𐬛𐬀𐬊𐬲𐬀𐬢𐬵‎ (daožaŋh), 𐬛𐬀𐬊𐬲𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀‎ (daožauua)
Azerbaijani: cəhənnəm (az)
Cyrillic: ҹәһәннәм
Baluchi: دوزه‎ (dōzē)
Bashkir: тамуҡ (tamuq), йәһәннәм (yähännäm)
Basque: infernu
Belarusian: ад m (ad), пе́кла n (pjékla)
Bengali: জাহান্নাম (jahannam), নরক (nôrôkô)
Bulgarian: ад (bg) m (ad), пъ́къл (bg) m (pǎ́kǎl)
Burmese: နရက် (my) (na.rak), ငရဲ (my) (nga.rai:)
Buryat: тама (tama)
Catalan: infern (ca) m
Chechen: жоьжахати (žöžaxati)
Cherokee: ᏨᏍᎩᏃ (tsvsgino)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 地獄／地狱 (zh) (dìyù)
Chuvash: тамӑк (tamăk)
Czech: peklo (cs) n
Dalmatian: infiarn m
Danish: helvede n
Dongxiang: dozohei
Dutch: hel (nl)
Esperanto: infero
Estonian: põrgu (et)
Faroese: helviti n
Finnish: helvetti (fi), horna (fi)
French: enfer (fr) m
Friulian: infiêr m
Galician: inferno (gl) m
Georgian: ჯოჯოხეთი (ǯoǯoxeti)
German: Hölle (de) f, Fegefeuer (de) n, Brand (de) m
Greek: Κόλαση f (Kólasi), κόλαση (el) f (kólasi)
Ancient: γέεννα (géenna)
Greenlandic: anniarfik
Gujarati: નરક (narak)
Hebrew: גֵּיהִנּוֹם‎ (he) m or f (gehinóm)
Hindi: नरक (hi) m (narak), जहन्नम (hi) m (jahannam), यमलोक (hi) m (yamlok)
Hittite: 𒋼𒂊𒈾𒌋𒉿𒀸 c (tēnawaš)
Hungarian: pokol (hu)
Hawaiian: kehena
Icelandic: helviti n
Ido: inferno (io)
Indonesian: neraka (id)
Interlingua: inferno
Irish: ifreann (ga)
Old Irish: ifernn m
Italian: inferno (it) m
Japanese: 地獄 (ja) (じごく, jigoku), 魔界 (まかい, makai), 奈落 (ja) (ならく, naraku)
Kalmyk: там (tam)
Kannada: ನರಕ (kn) (naraka)
Kazakh: жаһаннам (jahannam), тозақ (kk) (tozaq)
Khmer: ឋាននរក (thaan nɔrŭək), នរក (km) (nɔrŭək), នរកកុណ្ឌ (km) (nĕəʼrĕəʼkaʼkon), និរៃ (nirɨy)
Korean: 지옥(地獄) (ko) (jiok)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: جەھەنەم‎ (ku) (cehenem), دۆزەخ‎ (ku) (dozex)
Northern Kurdish: dûjeh (ku), cehnem (ku)
Kyrgyz: тозок (ky) (tozok), жаанам (jaanam), жаханнам (ky) (jahannam) (rare)
Lao: ນະລົກ (na lok), ນະຣົກ (na rok)
Latgalian: eļne
Latin: infernum n, Tartarus (la) m; gehenna
Latvian: elle f, pekle f
Lithuanian: pragaras m
Low German: Helle f
Luxembourgish: Häll f
Macedonian: пекол m (pekol)
Maguindanao: naraka
Malay: neraka
Malayalam: നരകം (ml) (narakaṃ)
Maltese: infern m
Manchu: ᡳᠯᠮᡠᠨ (ilmun)
Maore Comorian: moro class 3
Maranao: narka'
Marathi: नर्क (narka)
Middle English: helle
Middle Persian: 𐭣𐭥𐭱𐭧𐭥𐭩‎ (dušox)
Mongolian: там (mn) (tam)
Mwali Comorian: moro class 3
Navajo: chʼį́įdiitah
Nepali: नरक (narak)
Newar: नर्क (narka)
Norman: enfé m
Northern Sami: helvet
Norwegian: helvete (no) n
Occitan: infèrn (oc) m
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: адъ m (adŭ)
Old East Slavic: адъ m (adŭ), пекло n (peklo)
Old English: hell (ang) f
Old Norse: helviti n
Old Occitan: Enfern
Old Saxon: hel
Pali: naraka
Pashto: دوزخ‎ (ps) m (dozáx), دوږخ‎ m (doẓáx), دوژخ‎ m (dožáx), جوغاش‎ (ps) m (ǰoǧãš), جاندم‎ (ps) m (ǰāndám), اورګړ‎ m (orgáṛ)
Persian: جهنم‎ (fa) (jahannam), دوزخ‎ (fa) (duzax)
Plautdietsch: Hal f
Polish: piekło (pl) n
Portuguese: inferno (pt) m
Punjabi: ਨਰਕ (narak)
Romanian: iad (ro) n, gheenă (ro) f, infern (ro) n
Romansch: enfiern
Russian: ад (ru) m (ad), преиспо́дняя (ru) f (preispódnjaja), пе́кло (ru) n (péklo), гее́нна о́гненная f (gejénna ógnennaja)
Sanskrit: नरक (sa) m (naraka)
Sardinian: iferru
Saterland Frisian: Hälle f
Scottish Gaelic: Ifrinn f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: пакао m, ад m, џехенем m
Roman: pakao (sh) m, ad m, džehenem (sh) m
Sicilian: nfernu (scn) m
Sinhalese: නිරය (niraya)
Slovak: peklo n
Slovene: pekel (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: hela f, pjakło n
Upper Sorbian: hela f
Southern Altai: таамы (taamï)
Spanish: infierno (es) m
Swedish: helvete (sv) n
Tabasaran: жегьеннем (žehennem)
Tagalog: impiyerno
Tajik: дӯзах (tg) (düzax), ҷаҳаннам (tg) (jahannam)
Tamil: நரகம் (ta) (narakam)
Tatar: җәһәннәм (tt) (cähännäm)
Telugu: నరకం (te) (narakaṁ)
Thai: นรก (th) (ná-rók)
Tibetan: དམྱལ་བ (dmyal ba)
Divehi: ނަރަކަ‎ (naraka)
Tocharian B: nrai
Turkish: cehennem (tr), tamu (tr)
Turkmen: dowzah, jähennem (tk)
Udi: джаьгьаьннаьм (ǯähännäm)
Udmurt: ад (ad), тамуг (tamug)
Ukrainian: ад (uk) m (ad), пе́кло n (péklo)
Urdu: جہنم‎ m (jahannam), نرک‎ m (narak), دوزخ‎ (dozax)
Uyghur: دوزاخ‎ (dozax), جەھەننەم‎ (jehennem)
Uzbek: doʻzax (uz), jahannam (uz)
Vietnamese: địa ngục (vi) (地獄)
Volapük: höl (vo)
Welsh: uffern f
West Frisian: hel f
Yiddish: גיהנום‎ n (genem), גענעם‎ n (genem)
Zazaki: doze m, cahnım (diq) m

Noun

hell (countable and uncountable, plural hells)

(countable, hyperbolic, figuratively) 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.
callbackhell; <table> hell; <div> hell (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.
- 1986, Metallica (music), “Disposable Heroes”, in Master of Puppets:
  Why, am I dying? / Kill, have no fear / Lie, live off lying / Hell, hell is here
(countable) A place for gambling.
- 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 61, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, OCLC 2057953:
  Here’s five-and-twenty for you. Don’t be losing it at the hells now.
- 1877, William Black, Green Pastures and Piccadilly
  a convenient little gambling hell for those who had grown reckless
- 1906 January–October, Joseph Conrad, chapter II, in The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale, London: Methuen & Co., […], published 1907, OCLC 270548466; The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale (Collection of British Authors; 3995), copyright edition, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1907, OCLC 1107573959, page 15:
  But there was also about him an indescribable air which no mechanic could have acquired in the practice of his handicraft however dishonestly exercised: [...] the air of moral nihilism common to keepers of gambling hells and disorderly houses; [...]
(figuratively) An extremely hot place.
You don’t have a snowball's chance in hell.
(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.
(obsolete) A place into which a tailor throws shreds, or a printer discards broken type.
- 1662, [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge: University Press, 1905, OCLC 963614346:
  This sturdy Squire, he had, as well
  As the bold Trojan Knight, seen Hell.
In certain games of chase, a place to which those who are caught are carried for detention.
(colloquial, with on) Something extremely painful or harmful (to)
That steep staircase is hell on my knees.

Derived terms

as heck
as hell
burn in hell
catch hell
dependency hell
forty minutes of hell
give someone hell
go through hell
go to hell
heck if I know
heck knows
heck yes
hella
hellagood
hell and half of Georgia
hellbender
hell-bent
hellburner
hellcat
hell-fire
hell for leather
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
hell if I care
hell if I know
hellish
hell knows
hell no
hell of a
hell on earth
hell on wheels
hellraiser
hell’s bells
hell's delight
hellspawn
hell to pay
hell week
hell yeah
hell yes
hell yes
hot hell
how the hell
like hell
like hell you say
living hell
no screaming hell
rot in hell
the heck
the hell
the hell out of
the hell with it
the hell you say
to hell with
welcome to hell
what the heck
what the hell
where the heck
where the hell
who the heck
who the hell

Translations

place of suffering in life

Albanian: skëterrë (sq)
Arabic: جَحِيم‎ (jaḥīm), جَهَنَّم‎ f (jahannam)
Armenian: դժոխք (hy) (džoxkʿ)
Asturian: infiernu m
Atong (India): norok
Bashkir: тамуҡ (tamuq), йәһәннәм (yähännäm)
Chuvash: тамӑк (tamăk)
Czech: peklo (cs) n
Dutch: hel (nl)
Esperanto: infero
Estonian: põrgu (et)
Finnish: helvetti (fi)
French: enfer (fr) m
Georgian: ჯოჯოხეთი (ǯoǯoxeti)
German: Hölle (de) f
Greek: κόλαση (el) f (kólasi)
Hungarian: pokol (hu)
Indonesian: neraka (id)
Interlingua: inferno
Irish: ifreann (ga) m
Italian: inferno (it) m
Japanese: 地獄 (ja) (じごく, jigoku)
Kazakh: тамұқ (tamūq), жаһаннам (jahannam)
Korean: 지옥(地獄) (ko) (jiok)
Latvian: elle f
Lithuanian: pragaras m
Northern Sami: helvet
Norwegian: helvete (no) n
Oromo: jaannama
Persian: جهنم‎ (fa) (jahannam)
Polish: piekło (pl) n
Portuguese: inferno (pt) m
Russian: ад (ru) m (ad)
Saterland Frisian: Hälle f
Scottish Gaelic: Ifrinn f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: пакао m, ад m
Roman: pakao (sh) m, ad m
Sicilian: nfernu (scn) m
Slovak: peklo n
Spanish: infierno (es) m
Swahili: motoni, jahanamu
Swedish: helvete (sv) n
Telugu: నరకం (te) (narakaṁ)
Turkish: cehennem (tr), tamu (tr)
Volapük: höl (vo)
West Frisian: Hel f

extremely hot place

Arabic: جَحِيم‎ (jaḥīm)
Finnish: pätsi (fi)
Portuguese: inferno (pt) m
Russian: пе́кло (ru) n (péklo)

Interjection

hell

(impolite, sometimes considered vulgar) Used to express discontent, unhappiness, or anger.
Oh, hell! I got another parking ticket.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene vii]:
  O hell! what have we here?
  A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
  There is a written scroll! […]
(impolite, sometimes considered vulgar, non-productive) Used to emphasize.
Hell, yeah!
(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!

Derived terms

hell's bells
hell no
hells
hell yes, hell yeah, hells yeah

Translations

hell!

Danish: helvede!
Finnish: helvetti! (fi)
French: merde (fr)
German: zur Hölle!, Himmel! (de) m, Teufel! (de) m
Hebrew: לעזאזל!‎ (he) (la'azazél)
Icelandic: helvítis!
Japanese: 畜生 (ja) (ちくしょう, chikushō), 糞 (ja) (くそ, kuso)
Northern Sami: helvet!
Norwegian: helvete! (no)
Russian: чёрт (ru) (čort)
Spanish: carajo! (es), mierda! (es)
Swedish: helvete! (sv)

Adverb

hell (not comparable)

(postpositional) Alternative form of the hell or like hell.
- 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, London: Heinemann, OCLC 59891543, page 35:
  ‘I know whether a boy is telling me the truth or not.’
  ‘Thank you, sir.’
  Did he hell. They never bloody did.
(Australia, impolite, sometimes considered vulgar) Very; used to emphasize strongly.
That was hell good!
They're hell sexy.

Etymology 2

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

Verb

hell (third-person singular simple present hells, present participle helling, simple past and past participle helled)

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

References

A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles

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

hell (third-person singular simple present hells, present participle helling, simple past and past participle helled)

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

References

A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles

Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *skōla, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kol- (“stake”); compare Lithuanian kuõlas, Polish kół, Ancient Greek σκύλος (skúlos).

Noun

hell m (indefinite plural heje, definite singular helli, definite plural hejet)

skewer
spear
icicle
(adverb) standing straight without moving

Cornish

Noun

hell

Aspirate mutation of kell.

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *hellä. Cognate to Finnish hellä and Votic elle.

Adjective

hell (genitive hella, partitive hella, comparative hellem, superlative kõige hellem)

tender, gentle

Declension

Declension of hell (type külm)

	singular	plural
nominative	hell	hellad
genitive	hella	hellade
partitive	hella	helli / hellasid
illative	hella / hellasse	helladesse / hellisse
inessive	hellas	hellades / hellis
elative	hellast	helladest / hellist
allative	hellale	helladele / hellile
adessive	hellal	helladel / hellil
ablative	hellalt	helladelt / hellilt
translative	hellaks	helladeks / helliks
terminative	hellani	helladeni
essive	hellana	helladena
abessive	hellata	helladeta
comitative	hellaga	helladega

German

FWOTD – 3 September 2014

Etymology

From Middle High German hel (“resounding, loud, shining, bright”), from Old High German hel (“resounding”), from Proto-Germanic *halliz (“resounding”), from Proto-Germanic *hellaną (“to resound, make a sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, make noise”). Cognate with Dutch hel.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /hɛl/
audio (Germany) (file)
audio (Austria) (file)

Adjective

hell (strong nominative masculine singular heller, comparative heller, superlative am hellsten)

clear, bright, light
Antonym: dunkel
- 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Orgelpfeifen, in: Zwei Erzählungen, Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 9:
  So dunkel und schauerlich die Gruft aussah, wenn man durch die blinden, bestaubten Scheibchen der kleinen Fenster hineinblickte, so hell und freundlich war oben die Kirche.
  Just as dark and eerie the crypt looked like, if one looked in it through the cloudy, dusted little panes of the small windows, as bright and friendly was the church above.

Declension

Positive forms of hell

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist hell	sie ist hell	es ist hell	sie sind hell
strong declension (without article)	nominative	heller	helle	helles	helle
	genitive	hellen	heller	hellen	heller
	dative	hellem	heller	hellem	hellen
	accusative	hellen	helle	helles	helle
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der helle	die helle	das helle	die hellen
	genitive	des hellen	der hellen	des hellen	der hellen
	dative	dem hellen	der hellen	dem hellen	den hellen
	accusative	den hellen	die helle	das helle	die hellen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein heller	eine helle	ein helles	(keine) hellen
	genitive	eines hellen	einer hellen	eines hellen	(keiner) hellen
	dative	einem hellen	einer hellen	einem hellen	(keinen) hellen
	accusative	einen hellen	eine helle	ein helles	(keine) hellen

Comparative forms of hell

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist heller	sie ist heller	es ist heller	sie sind heller
strong declension (without article)	nominative	hellerer	hellere	helleres	hellere
	genitive	helleren	hellerer	helleren	hellerer
	dative	hellerem	hellerer	hellerem	helleren
	accusative	helleren	hellere	helleres	hellere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der hellere	die hellere	das hellere	die helleren
	genitive	des helleren	der helleren	des helleren	der helleren
	dative	dem helleren	der helleren	dem helleren	den helleren
	accusative	den helleren	die hellere	das hellere	die helleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein hellerer	eine hellere	ein helleres	(keine) helleren
	genitive	eines helleren	einer helleren	eines helleren	(keiner) helleren
	dative	einem helleren	einer helleren	einem helleren	(keinen) helleren
	accusative	einen helleren	eine hellere	ein helleres	(keine) helleren

Superlative forms of hell

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am hellsten	sie ist am hellsten	es ist am hellsten	sie sind am hellsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	hellster	hellste	hellstes	hellste
	genitive	hellsten	hellster	hellsten	hellster
	dative	hellstem	hellster	hellstem	hellsten
	accusative	hellsten	hellste	hellstes	hellste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der hellste	die hellste	das hellste	die hellsten
	genitive	des hellsten	der hellsten	des hellsten	der hellsten
	dative	dem hellsten	der hellsten	dem hellsten	den hellsten
	accusative	den hellsten	die hellste	das hellste	die hellsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein hellster	eine hellste	ein hellstes	(keine) hellsten
	genitive	eines hellsten	einer hellsten	eines hellsten	(keiner) hellsten
	dative	einem hellsten	einer hellsten	einem hellsten	(keinen) hellsten
	accusative	einen hellsten	eine hellste	ein hellstes	(keine) hellsten

Derived terms

hellhörig
hellsichtig

Related terms

sternenhell
taghell

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Old High German hel, related to the verb hellan, from Proto-Germanic *hellaną (“to resound”). Cognate with German helle, Dutch hel.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /hæl/
Rhymes: -æl
Homophone: Häll

Adjective

hell (masculine hellen, neuter hellt, comparative méi hell, superlative am hellsten)

clear, bright
light, pale

Declension

declension of hell

number and gender		singular			plural
number and gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		hien ass hell	si ass hell	et ass hell	si si(nn) hell
nominative / accusative	attributive and/or after determiner	hellen	hell	hellt	hell
nominative / accusative	independent without determiner	hellen	hell	helles	heller
dative	after any declined word	hellen	heller	hellen	hellen
dative	as first declined word	hellem	heller	hellem	hellen

Middle English

Proper noun

hell

Alternative form of helle

Noun

hell

Alternative form of helle

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse heill.

Noun

hell n (definite singular hellet, indefinite plural hell, definite plural hella or hellene)

luck

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

hell

imperative of helle

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Ultimately from Old Norse heill.

Noun

hell n (definite singular hellet, indefinite plural hell, definite plural hella)

luck

Old English

Alternative forms

hel

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *hallju, from Proto-Germanic *haljō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, hide, conceal”).

Compare German hell (“light”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /xell/, [heɫ]

Noun

hell f

hell

Declension

Declension of hell (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	hell	hella, helle
accusative	helle	hella, helle
genitive	helle	hella
dative	helle	hellum

Derived terms

hellewīte

Descendants

Middle English: helle, hel, hell; hælle
- English: hell, Hell
- Scots: hell, Hell

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish heel, from Old Norse heill (“good omen, luck”, literally “whole, healthy”). Doublet of hel.

Interjection

hell

(archaic) hail (exclamation or greeting)

Derived terms

hell seger (“Sieg Heil”)

References

hell in Svensk ordbok (SO)
hell in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
hell in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

hell

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Proper noun

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Adverb

Etymology 2

Verb

References

Etymology 3

Verb

References

Albanian

Etymology

Noun

Cornish

Noun

Estonian

Etymology

Adjective

Declension

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Luxembourgish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Middle English

Proper noun

Noun

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Noun

Etymology 2

Verb

Further reading

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Noun

Further reading

Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

Swedish

Etymology

Interjection

Derived terms

References