infernal
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- infernall (obsolete)
Etymology edit
From Middle French infernal, from Medieval Latin infernalis, from Latin īnfernus, from īnferum (“netherworld, underworld, hell”), equivalent to inferno + -al.
Pronunciation edit
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɜː(ɹ)nəl/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - (US) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɝnəl/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl
Adjective edit
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:
- 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?
Antonyms edit
- (antonym(s) of “of or relating to hell”): heavenly
- (antonym(s) of “of or relating to hell, underworld or fire”): celestial
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Noun edit
infernal (plural infernals)
- An inhabitant of the infernal regions, a demon.
References edit
“infernal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
French edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin īnfernālis.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
infernal (feminine infernale, masculine plural infernaux, feminine plural infernales)
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “infernal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Old French edit
Etymology edit
From Latin infernālis.
Adjective edit
infernal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular infernale)
- infernal (relating to hell)
Declension edit
Descendants edit
Portuguese edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
infernal m or f (plural infernais)
- (Christianity) hellish; infernal (from or relating to hell)
- diabolical; evil; infernal
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from French infernal, from Latin infernalis. By surface analysis, infern + -al.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
infernal m or n (feminine singular infernală, masculine plural infernali, feminine and neuter plural infernale)
Declension edit
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 edit
Etymology edit
From Latin īnfernālis.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
infernal m or f (masculine and feminine plural infernales)
- (relational) hell; infernal (of or relating to hell)
- infernal, hellish (diabolical, fiendish)
- infernal, hellish, hellacious, hell of (very annoying, damned)
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “infernal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014