From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhellhell1 /hel/ ●●○ S3 noun 1 when you die [uncountable] (also Hell)RR the place where the souls of bad people are believed to be punished after death, especially in the Christian and Muslim religions2 suffering [singular, uncountable]SUFFER a place or situation in which people suffer very much, either physically or emotionally War is hell. My mother made my life hell. These past few days have been a living hell. She must have gone through hell every day, the way we teased her about her weight.pure/absolute/sheer etc hell They described the war zone as sheer hell. He says his time in jail was hell on earth.3 UNPLEASANTunpleasant situation [singular, uncountable] informal a situation, experience, or place that is very unpleasant The traffic was hell this morning.pure/absolute/sheer etc hell ‘How was your exam?’ ‘Sheer hell!’4 → what/how/why/where etc the hell?5 → a/one hell of a something6 → go to hell!7 → feel/look like hell8 → beat/surprise/scare the hell out of somebody9 → (just) for the hell of it10 → what the hell!11 → to hell with somebody/something12 → run/hurt/fight etc like hell13 → like hell/the hell14 → the something/somebody from hell15 → guilty/shy/mad/angry etc as hell16 → sure as hell17 → give somebody hell18 → get the hell out (of somewhere)19 → there’ll be hell to pay20 → go to hell and back21 → all hell broke loose22 → come hell or high water23 → go to hell in a handbasket24 → hell’s bells25 → play (merry) hell with something26 → raise hell27 → run/go hell for leather28 → hell on wheels29 → when hell freezes over30 → catch hell → not a hope in hell (of doing something) at hope2(3)
Examples from the Corpus
hell• And a hell of a liar, Doll.• For if he ever got lost there would be hell to pay.• What the bloody hell does he know?• We lost every game, but hell, I slept well anyway.• William Mulholland came to Los Angeles more or less for the hell of it.• For the hell of it l do an extra set of bun-twisters on my back, a perennial crowd-pleaser.• But what the hell, it worked.• Wondering what the hell he's up to.• What the hell was he going to do?• Traffic was hell this morning.• Well, hell, I don't know.hell on earth• Can you think of a better metaphor for hell on earth?• The prison was like hell on earth.• The area in front of Newgate, Athelstan thought, must be the nearest thing to hell on earth.• It was hell on earth at first, the party, with everyone awkward and self-conscious.pure/absolute/sheer etc hell• Sitting in a small room with a strange man asking me questions is pure hell.• The stairs seem like the north face of the Eiger, the temperature sheer hell.• Or was he just trying to provoke her into an argument for the sheer hell of it?• The pure hell of making a speech is only equalled by the agony of the audience.• Some women who come from exactly the same culture with the same intent go through absolute hell.• He was never able to reveal that his life was pure hell.• The first month was absolute hell, especially as I didn't have a watch.hellhell2 interjection not polite 1 ANGRYANNOYused to express anger or annoyanceOh hell! I’ve left my purse at home.2 used to emphasize a statementWell, hell, I don’t know!Origin hell Old English 