Meanings
hellhole1
plural hellholes · alternative Hellhole · alternative hell hole · alternative Hell hole · alternative hell-hole
- derogatoryidiomaticslangA place of intense hatred, misery, or turmoil.
Once the Old Nichol had been razed, the search was on for London's new hell hole.
2015, Ed Glinert, East End Chronicles, Penguin UK, →ISBN2 more examples
Despite prolonged exposure to harsh conditions, medics say Nora Tallis returned to the Nexus in stable condition. In a statement to HNS, Tallis did not mince words. "Never send me to that hellhole again."
2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: ELAADEN (HNS) - Nora Tallis Found AliveIndeed, we happily condemn damaged children—at enormous expense—to hellholes like Feltham, where they are more likely to be assaulted or killed than to find an escape from the revolving doors of courts, prisons and addiction.
2020 July 23, Chris Daw, “'A stain on national life': why are we locking up so many children?'”, in The Guardian
Hellhole2
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
First recorded in 1866.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech špinavá díra, brloh
- špinavá díraplace of intense misery
- brlohplace of intense misery
- peklo na zemiplace of intense misery
German Dreckloch
- Drecklochplace of intense misery
Japanese 魔境
- 魔境 (makyō)place of intense misery
Norwegian Bokmål helvete
- helveteplace of intense misery
Cite this entry
hellhole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hellhole
“hellhole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hellhole. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hellhole,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hellhole.
Source: hellhole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.