gehenna

What it means

1. In rabbinical literature and Christian and Islamic scripture, the place where the souls of the wicked go after death, where they suffer eternal damnation or annihilation.

   Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Gehenna?

   Matthew 23:33

   Synonyms: Gehenom, Gehennom, Gehinom, Gehinnom, Jahannam

2. Hell.
3. A place of suffering and misery.

   School was Gehenna for the restless student.

In a sentence

When I next took an interest in things I found myself lying in the road. The sound of the gang was diminishing into the distance, and the prophet of doom, restored to eloquence, was sending threatful bolts of damnation, hell-fire, and a brimstone gehenna hurtling after them.

1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 59

Where it comes from

1. Hebrewגֵּיהִנּוֹם“hell”
2. Ancient Greekγέεννα
3. Ecclesiastical Latingehenna
4. EnglishGehenna

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin gehenna, from Ancient Greek γέεννα (géenna), from Hebrew גֵּיהִנּוֹם (ge'henom, “hell”, literally “valley of Hinnom”), named after the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, which was constantly filled with the waste of the city, which was then burnt. Heinous deeds are also associated with this valley, as during the time when Jerusalem was ruled by non-Jews (referred to in scriptures simply as 'pagans') child sacrifice was practiced there.