Word.ws English Dictionary

the hell

/ðəˈhɛl/

the hell adverb: used to indicate emphatic rejection of an assertion or request. Also the ellipsis of what the hell.

Adverb

the hell (not comparable)

  1. (sometimes, vulgar) Used to indicate emphatic rejection of an assertion or request.
    • A: I can run faster than a horse.
      B: The hell you can!
    • 'You stay here, sir,' O'Bannion instructed.
      'The hell I will,' Feeney said.1990, Stephen King, The Moving Finger
  2. (sometimes, vulgar) Expletive used for emphasis, typically after an interrogative term or relative pronoun.
    • What the hell was that?
    • I thought we were all sisters and brothers I guess I am not accepted. I sure wish the hell I stayed in the closet.1971, Allan Oxside, “Oxside In A Closet”, in Body Politic, number 1, page 3

Also used as

the hell is also the ellipsis of what the hell.

Synonyms of the hell

Forms of the hell

alternative formin the hell

Questions about the hell

What does the hell mean?
The hell means used to indicate emphatic rejection of an assertion or request.
What part of speech is the hell?
The hell is an adverb.
How do you pronounce the hell?
The hell is pronounced /ðəˈhɛl/.

Words near the hell in the dictionary

  1. the heart wants what the heart wants
  2. the heat is on
  3. the heavens open
  4. the heck
  5. the heck out of
  6. the hell
  7. the hell out of
  8. the hell with it
  9. the hell you say
  10. the helly
  11. the highest branch is not the safest roost

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: the hell (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-the hell.wav.

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