hell

hell — noun

1. any situation or place that causes great suffering or hardship.

1.名詞B2
釋義

any situation or place that causes great suffering or hardship.

例句

The traffic on the freeway this morning was pure hell for Takeshi.

pattern: it + be + pure hell

After the earthquake, life in the village became a living hell for months.

collocation: a living hell

同義詞
  • nightmare

    suggests a more specific frightening experience rather than a prolonged difficult period

  • torture

    stronger; implies deliberate infliction of pain or suffering

  • ordeal

    less intense; focuses on the difficulty of the experience

反義詞
  • paradise

    an extremely pleasant, enjoyable situation

用法筆記

Usually uncountable. Frequently paired with intensifiers such as 'absolute', 'pure', or 'living' to strengthen the meaning.

常見錯誤

❌The refugees are living in the hell.
✅The refugees are living in hell.
💡when 'hell' means a terrible situation, it is used without an article.

2. in certain religions, an eternal place of punishment where wicked people are sen

2.名詞B2
釋義

in certain religions, an eternal place of punishment where wicked people are sent after death.

例句

In many traditional stories, hell is described as a realm of fire and suffering.

collocation: a realm of fire and suffering

The pastor told the children that acts of kindness could keep a person out of hell.

pattern: keep [person] out of hell

同義詞
  • the underworld

    less tied to a specific religion; more common in mythology and fantasy

  • the inferno

    formal or literary; emphasizes fire and punishment

  • damnation

    refers to the state of being condemned, not a physical place

反義詞
  • heaven

    the place of eternal reward in many religions

用法筆記

Treated as a proper noun — used without an article (e.g. 'go to hell', 'sent to hell'). Often capitalized in religious writing.

常見錯誤

❌She believes bad people go to the hell.
✅She believes bad people go to hell.
💡'hell' meaning the religious place uses no article after 'to'.

3. severe trouble, problems, or harsh treatment that one person directs at another.

3.名詞B2
釋義

severe trouble, problems, or harsh treatment that one person directs at another.

例句

Reuben's supervisor gave him hell for arriving late to the meeting.

pattern: give [someone] hell for [something]

The children have been giving their babysitter hell all afternoon.

pattern: give [someone] hell

同義詞
  • grief

    similar intensity and also appears in 'give someone grief'; slightly softer in tone

  • a hard time

    less strong; more neutral and less emotionally charged

  • trouble

    broader meaning; less specifically about verbal reprimand

用法筆記

Only appears in fixed expressions such as 'give someone hell' and 'get hell from someone'. Cannot be modified with adjectives or used freely as a countable noun.

常見錯誤

❌My teacher gave me a hell for my homework.
✅My teacher gave me hell for my homework.
💡no article 'a' is used in this fixed expression.

hell — exclamation