fire and brimstone

noun

The traditional punishments of Hell.

“That preacher gave a real fire and brimstone sermon!”

OriginBiblical Hebrew גׇּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ ← Ancient Greek πυρὸς καὶ θείου →
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Meanings

nounfire and brimstone (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe traditional punishments of Hell.
    1 more example

    And the third Angel followed them, ſaying with a lowd voice, If any man worship the beaſt and his image, and receiue his marke in his forehead, or in his hand, / The ſame ſhall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and hee ſhall be tormented with fire and brimſtone, in the preſence of the holy Angels, and in the preſence of the Lambe:

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 14:9–10
  2. colloquialuncountableA commotion.

    "I'll tell J., but we can hardly yank the girl out as well. It would raise fire and brimstone."

    1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London
adjectivefire and brimstone (not comparable)

alternative fire-and-brimstone

  1. not comparableReferencing or emphasizing the power and wrath of God.

    That preacher gave a real fire and brimstone sermon!

    1 more example

    The fire-and-brimstone preacher gave the city council a severe tongue-lashing after they voted on a zoning ordinance allowing a new strip club to open.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπυρὸς καὶ θείου
  2. Biblical Hebrewגׇּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ
  3. Englishfire and brimstone

Calque of Biblical Hebrew גׇּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ (gofrit va’esh) and Ancient Greek πυρὸς καὶ θείου (puròs kaì theíou), appearing in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. "brimstone" is an old word for sulfur.

More words from Biblical Hebrew, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan foc i sofre
  • foc i sofrepunishment of Hell
Czech oheň a síra
  • oheň a sírapunishment of Hell
Finnish tuli ja tulikivi, tulikivenkatkuinen
  • tuli ja tulikivipunishment of Hell
  • tulikivenkatkuinenreferencing the wrath of God
German Feuer und Schwefel, Straf-
  • Feuer und Schwefelpunishment of Hell
  • Straf-referencing the wrath of God
  • chiefly in Strafpredigt and Strafpredigerreferencing the wrath of God
Swedish eld och svavel
  • eld och svavelreferencing the wrath of God
Cite this entry
APA

fire and brimstone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20and%20brimstone

MLA

“fire and brimstone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20and%20brimstone. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fire and brimstone,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20and%20brimstone.

Source: fire and brimstone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.