infernal
English
Etymology
From Middle French infernal, from Medieval Latin infernalis, from Latin īnfernus, from īnferum (“netherworld, underworld, hell”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɜː(ɹ)nəl/
Audio (RP) (file) - (US) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfəɹnəl/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl
Adjective
infernal (comparative more infernal, superlative most infernal)
- Of or relating to hell, or the world of the dead; hellish.
- (by extension) Of or relating to a fire or inferno.
- Stygian, gloomy.
- Diabolical or fiendish.
- 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I, lines 34–36:
- Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
- Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd
- The Mother of Mankind
- 1711 December 19 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison; Richard Steele [et al.], “SATURDAY, December 8, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 244; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, OCLC 191120697:
- the instruments or abettors in such infernal dealings
-
- (as an expletive) Very annoying; damned.
- 1905, Bram Stoker, The Man
- As I had to put up with the patronage and the lecturings, and the eyeglass of that infernal old woman, […]
- 1982, Sharon Green, The Warrior Within (page 10)
- When are you ever going to learn to mind your own infernal business?
- 1905, Bram Stoker, The Man
Antonyms
- (of or relating to hell): heavenly
- (of or relating to hell, underworld or fire): celestial
Related terms
- infernal device
- infernally
- infernal machine
- inferno
Translations
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Noun
infernal (plural infernals)
- (obsolete) An inhabitant of the infernal regions.
References
infernal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin infernālis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛ̃.fɛʁ.nal/
Adjective
infernal (feminine infernale, masculine plural infernaux, feminine plural infernales)
- (relational) hell; infernal
- (figuratively) infernal, hellish, awful, terrible
Related terms
- enfer
Further reading
- “infernal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Old French
Etymology
From Latin infernālis.
Adjective
infernal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular infernale)
- infernal (relating to hell)
Declension
Number | Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Subject | infernals, infernaus, infernax | infernale | infernal |
Oblique | infernal | |||
Plural | Subject | infernal | infernales | |
Oblique | infernals, infernaus, infernax |
Descendants
- English: infernal
- French: infernal
- Norman: înfèrna
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ĩ.feʁˈnaw/ [ĩ.feɦˈnaʊ̯]
- (São Paulo) IPA(key): /ĩ.feɾˈnaw/ [ĩ.feɾˈnaʊ̯]
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /ĩ.feʁˈnaw/ [ĩ.feʁˈnaʊ̯]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ĩ.feɻˈnaw/ [ĩ.feɻˈnaʊ̯]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ĩ.fɨɾˈnal/ [ĩ.fɨɾˈnaɫ]
- Rhymes: -al, -aw
- Hyphenation: in‧fer‧nal
Adjective
infernal m or f (plural infernais)
- (Christianity) hellish; infernal (from or relating to hell)
- diabolical; evil; infernal
- Synonyms: mau, diabólico, maldoso
Derived terms
- infernalmente
Related terms
- inferno
Romanian
Etymology
From French infernal, from Latin infernalis.
Adjective
infernal m or n (feminine singular infernală, masculine plural infernali, feminine and neuter plural infernale)
- infernal
Declension
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative | indefinite | infernal | infernală | infernali | infernale | ||
definite | infernalul | infernala | infernalii | infernalele | |||
genitive/ dative | indefinite | infernal | infernale | infernali | infernale | ||
definite | infernalului | infernalei | infernalilor | infernalelor |
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin infernalis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /infeɾˈnal/ [ĩɱ.feɾˈnal]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: in‧fer‧nal
Adjective
infernal (plural infernales)
- (relational) hell; infernal (of or relating to hell)
- infernal, hellish (diabolical, fiendish)
- infernal, hellish, hellacious, hell of (very annoying, damned)
Related terms
- infierno
Further reading
- “infernal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014