Meanings
plural gates of hell
- Any of various places on the surface of the world, often in regions of unusual geological activity, that have acquired a legendary reputation as entrances to the underworld.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see gate, hell.
And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke I will build my Church: and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 16:181 more example
The UN’s secretary general, António Guterres, said that “humanity has opened the gates of hell” by unleashing worsening heatwaves, floods and wildfires seen around the world but that action to prevent the worst was still possible.
2023 September 20, Léonie Chao-Fong, quoting António Guterres, “UN chief says ‘humanity has opened gates of hell’ on climate”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Translations
Arabic بَوَّابَةُ الْجَحِيم
- بَوَّابَةُ الْجَحِيم (bawwābatu l-jaḥīm)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Chinese Mandarin 鬼門關 /鬼门关, 地獄之門 /地狱之门
- 鬼門關 /鬼门关 (guǐménguān)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
- 地獄之門 /地狱之门 (dìyù zhī mén)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Finnish helvetin portti
- helvetin porttivarious places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
French porte de l'enfer
- porte de l'enfervarious places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
German Tor zur Hölle
- Tor zur Höllevarious places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Hindi पाताल का द्वार
- पाताल का द्वार (pātāl kā dvār)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Italian porta dell'inferno
- porta dell'infernovarious places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Japanese 地獄の門
- 地獄の門 (jigoku no mon)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Korean 지옥의 문, 지옥으로 가는 문
- 지옥의 문 (jiog-ui mun)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
- 지옥으로 가는 문 (jiog-euro ganeun mun)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Russian врата́ а́да
- врата́ а́да (vratá áda)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Spanish puerta del infierno
- puerta del infiernovarious places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Ukrainian воро́та пе́кла
- воро́та пе́кла (voróta pékla)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Urdu دَرْوازَۂ جَہَنَّم
- دَرْوازَۂ جَہَنَّم (darvāza-yi jahannam)various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld
Cite this entry
gate of hell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gate%20of%20hell
“gate of hell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gate%20of%20hell. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gate of hell,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gate%20of%20hell.
Source: gate of hell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.