Meanings
alternative abandon hope · alternative abandon all hope, ye who enter here · alternative abandon all hope ye who enter here · alternative abandon hope all ye who enter here · alternative all hope abandon, ye who enter here · alternative all hope abandon ye who enter here
- Supposed inscription at the gate of hell.
"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here," the plaque on the Frolic Room door says.
2005, Jade Blackmore, Close But No Pizza, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 375 more examples
“Abandon hope, all ye who enter here,” was by no means written above its gateways.
1898, Justin H[untly] McCarthy, The French Revolution, volume II, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], page 2A sincere desire to render our Republican friends—a majority of whom we love—a real service and save them real money impels us to warn them that if their high command sends national funds to West Virginia for campaign purposes in 1952, the bearers of their money bags will find at the border line of the State ominous warning signs such as Dante saw above the entrance to the inferno, “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”
1952 May 27, Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 82ᵈ Congress, Second Session, volume 98, part 5, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, page 6017, column 1It seems to me that it might as well have a sign on the door, saying ‘Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.’ If I go there, I know I’ll be buying a one-way ticket.
2002, Levi Meier, Seven Heavens: Inspirational Stories to Elevate Your Soul, Devora Publishing, →ISBN, page 185A decent and free society, founded in respect for the individual, ought not to run a system with a sign at the entrance for inmates saying, "Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here."
2004, Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, and the Identity Theft Investigation and Prosecution Act of 2003: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Second Session, on H.R. 1731 and H.R. 3693, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, page 54Visitors enter through a set of huge wrought-iron gates decorated with basalt statues writhing in agony and the famous phrase ABANDON HOPE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE.
2006, Karen Chance, Touch the Dark, Penguin, →ISBN
Origin
- Italianlasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate
- Englishabandon hope, all ye who enter here
From Dante Alighieri's work Inferno, translated by Henry Francis Cary as “all hope abandon ye who enter here”, from the Italian lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate. The variant “abandon hope, all ye who enter here”, with a change of meaning, was likely chosen for its iambic pentameter.
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian наде́жда вся́ка ту́ка оставе́те
- наде́жда вся́ка ту́ка оставе́те (nadéžda vsjáka túka ostavéte)supposed inscription at the gate of hell
Finnish ken tästä käy, saa kaiken toivon heittää
- ken tästä käy, saa kaiken toivon heittääsupposed inscription at the gate of hell
German lasst alle Hoffnung fahren, ihr, die eintretet
- lasst alle Hoffnung fahren, ihr, die eintretetsupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Hungarian ki itt belépsz, hagyj fel minden reménnyel
- ki itt belépsz, hagyj fel minden reménnyelsupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Italian lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate
- lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intratesupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Polish porzućcie wszelką nadzieję, wy, którzy wchodzicie
- porzućcie wszelką nadzieję, wy, którzy wchodziciesupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Portuguese deixai toda a esperança, vós que entrais
- deixai toda a esperança, vós que entraissupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Russian оставь надежду, всяк сюда входящий
- оставь надежду, всяк сюда входящий (ostavʹ nadeždu, vsjak sjuda vxodjaščij)supposed inscription at the gate of hell
Spanish abandonad toda esperanza, aquellos que entréis aquí
- abandonad toda esperanza, aquellos que entréis aquísupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Swedish i som här inträden, låten hoppet fara
- i som här inträden, låten hoppet farasupposed inscription at the gate of hell
Ukrainian хто входить тут, покинь усю надію
- хто входить тут, покинь усю надію (xto vxodytʹ tut, pokynʹ usju nadiju)supposed inscription at the gate of hell
Cite this entry
abandon hope, all ye who enter here. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abandon%20hope%2C%20all%20ye%20who%20enter%20here
“abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abandon%20hope%2C%20all%20ye%20who%20enter%20here. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abandon hope, all ye who enter here,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abandon%20hope%2C%20all%20ye%20who%20enter%20here.
Source: abandon hope, all ye who enter here on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.