Meanings
- idiomaticThe situation becomes chaotic or characterized by conflict or rage.
Came not all hell broke loose?
1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC4 more examples
I think it's kind of fun because, had Hillary Clinton spoken at the Democratic Convention, all hell would have broken loose.
1992 August 19, “Beckel, Barnes and Rollins Discuss the Republican Convention”, in CBS MorningPack and get dressed / Before your father hears us / Before all hell breaks loose
1997, “Exit Music (For a Film)”, in OK Computer, performed by RadioheadThe U.S. commanders received the news in a moment of stunned silence. Then, all hell broke loose as, off in the distance, antiaircraft fire was spotted as the antisubmarine patrol aircraft made optimistic and recklessly-brave assaults; four aircraft in total, armed with depth charges, attacked over a dozen enemy fleet units.
2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 2:05 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2022It was a shocking attack, and within hours all hell had broken loose.
2023 November 26, Rory Carroll, Lisa O'Carroll, “‘Remember who we are’: riots, race, and the end of the ‘Irish welcome’”, in The Observer, →ISSN
Translations
Dutch de hel breekt los
- de hel breekt losthe situation becomes chaotic
Finnish helvetti pääsee valloilleen
- helvetti pääsee valloilleenthe situation becomes chaotic
French l'enfer se déchaîne
- l'enfer se déchaînethe situation becomes chaotic
German die Hölle bricht los, der Teufel ist los
- die Hölle bricht losthe situation becomes chaotic
- der Teufel ist losthe situation becomes chaotic
Hungarian elszabadul a pokol
- elszabadul a pokolthe situation becomes chaotic
Italian si scatena l'inferno, succede un quarantotto
- si scatena l'infernothe situation becomes chaotic
- succede un quarantottothe situation becomes chaotic
Polish rozpętać piekło
- rozpętać piekłothe situation becomes chaotic
Portuguese o céu veio abaixo
- o céu veio abaixothe situation becomes chaotic
Spanish todo se fue al demonio, se arma la gorda
- todo se fue al demoniothe situation becomes chaotic
- se arma la gordathe situation becomes chaotic
Swedish (hela) helvetet brakar loss
- (hela) helvetet brakar lossthe situation becomes chaotic
Cite this entry
all hell breaks loose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20hell%20breaks%20loose
“all hell breaks loose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20hell%20breaks%20loose. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “all hell breaks loose,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20hell%20breaks%20loose.
Source: all hell breaks loose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.