Wiktionary

hell

See also: he'll, Hell, and héll

English edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

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

Etymology 1 edit

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 edit

hell

  1. (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!
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
  • (antonym(s) of "in many religions"): heaven
Translations edit

Noun edit

hell (countable and uncountable, plural hells)

  1. (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.
    callback hell; <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, “Disposable Heroes”, in Metallica (music), Master of Puppets:
      Why, am I dying? / Kill, have no fear / Lie, live off lying / Hell, hell is here
  2. (countable) A place for gambling.
  3. (figuratively) 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.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Interjection edit

hell

  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!
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
See also edit

Adverb edit

hell (not comparable)

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

Verb edit

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

  1. To make hellish; to place (someone) in hell; to make (a place) into a hell. [from 17th c.]
  2. To hurry, rush. [from 19th c.]
    • 1929, William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury:
      I had already lost thirteen points, all because she had to come helling in there at twelve, worrying me about that letter.

Etymology 2 edit

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

Verb edit

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

  1. (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 edit

Etymology 3 edit

From Middle English hellen, from Old Norse hella (“to pour”), from Proto-Germanic *halþijaną (“to incline, tip; to pour out, empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to lean, incline”). Cognate with Icelandic hella (“to pour”), Norwegian helle (“to pour”), Swedish hälla (“to pour”). See also English hield.

Verb edit

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

  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.
References edit

Albanian edit

Etymology edit

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

Noun edit

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

  1. skewer
  2. spear
  3. icicle
  4. (adverb) standing straight without moving

Cornish edit

Noun edit

hell

  1. Aspirate mutation of kell.

Estonian edit

Etymology edit

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

Adjective edit

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

  1. tender, gentle

Declension edit

Declension of hell (ÕS type 22i/külm, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative hell hellad
accusative nom.
gen. hella
genitive 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 edit

FWOTD – 3 September 2014

Etymology edit

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 edit

Adjective edit

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

  1. 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 edit

Positive forms of hell
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
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
masculine feminine neuter
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
masculine feminine neuter
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 edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

  • “hell” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • “hell” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • “hell” in Duden online

Luxembourgish edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

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

  1. clear, bright
  2. light, pale

Declension edit

declension of hell
number and gender singular plural
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
independent without determiner helles heller
dative after any declined word hellen heller hellen hellen
as first declined word hellem hellem

Middle English edit

Proper noun edit

hell

  1. Alternative form of helle

Noun edit

hell

  1. Alternative form of helle

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Old Norse heill.

Noun edit

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

  1. luck

Etymology 2 edit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb edit

hell

  1. imperative of helle

Further reading edit

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Etymology edit

Ultimately from Old Norse heill.

Noun edit

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

  1. luck

Further reading edit

Old English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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

Compare German hell (“light”).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

hell f

  1. hell

Declension edit

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 edit

Descendants edit

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

Swedish edit

Etymology edit

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

Interjection edit

hell

  1. (archaic) hail (exclamation or greeting)

Derived terms edit

References edit

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