hell
gb/hˈɛl/ us/hˈɛl/
B1
Kiingereza
~ 1900
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
B1
entity
1
place of eternal suffering
In some religions, a place where bad people go after they die to suffer forever.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone] goes to hell
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse 'hell' with general suffering on Earth; in this sense it specifically refers to an afterlife location.
Visawe
underworld (A broader mythological term for the realm of the dead, not always implying punishment.)
Vinyume
heaven (The place in many religions where good people go after death, opposite in nature to hell.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
burn in hell
|go to hell
|hell on earth
|escape hell
Mada
religion
|afterlife
Mifano
- Many medieval paintings depict sinners burning in hell.
- She feared her actions would condemn her to hell.
- Some people believe hell is a real place, others see it as symbolic.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Some people think bad people go to hell.
- He believed he would be punished in hell.
- They say hell is full of fire.
Nomino
informal
B1
state
2
extremely bad situation
A very bad and painful time or situation.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] is hell for [someone]
Kosa la kawaida:
Some learners may overuse 'hell' in formal contexts; this usage is informal.
Visawe
nightmare (Often used for an extremely unpleasant experience, sometimes less intense than 'hell'.)
Vinyume
paradise (A situation of great happiness and comfort, opposite to suffering.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
go through hell
|living hell
|pure hell
Mada
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The last few months have been pure hell for me.
- He went through hell after the accident.
- Working in that heat was hell.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The exam was hell for me.
- She went through hell when she lost her job.
- It was hell to wait so long.
interjection
informal
B2
action
3
exclamation of strong feeling
Said when you are surprised, angry, or want to make your words stronger.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may not realize this can sound rude or offensive in some contexts.
Visawe
damn (Similar in use as an expletive but can be milder or stronger depending on context.)
Mada
emotions
|communication
Mifano
- What the hell are you doing?
- Hell, I didn't know that!
- Oh hell! I forgot my keys.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- What the hell is that?
- Hell, I can't believe it.
- Oh hell! I lost my phone.
Nomino
informal
B2
entity
4
troublesome person or thing
A person or thing that makes life very hard or unpleasant.
Visawe
torment (Focuses more on the suffering caused rather than the source itself.)
Mada
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- That kid is a real little hell.
- The new manager is giving us hell at work.
- The storm gave the sailors hell all night.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The boss gave me hell today.
- That dog is hell to take care of.
- He is a little hell at school.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
hell
IPA
GB/hˈɛl/
US/hˈɛl/
Silabi na mkazo
hell (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (hell)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: hell
- Plural: hell, hells
Familia ya neno
Semi
give [someone] hell
1/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
treat harshly or criticize strongly
To punish, criticize, or make things very difficult for someone.
Mifano
- The teacher gave us hell for being late.
- My mom gave me hell when she saw my grades.
go through hell
1/ɡˈoʊ θɹˈu hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
experience great suffering
To have a very hard and painful time.
Mifano
- She went through hell after her house burned down.
- They went through hell during the war.
like hell
1/lˈaɪk hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
with great intensity or emphasis
Used to say something is done with great force, speed, or effort; also used to strongly deny something.
Mifano
- He ran like hell to catch the bus.
- "You’ll help me?" "Like hell I will!"
what the hell
1/wˈʌt ðə hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
expression of surprise or confusion
Used when you are surprised, angry, or do not understand something.
Mifano
- What the hell is going on here?
- What the hell did you do that for?
raise hell
1/ɹˈeɪz hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
Cause loud trouble or protest strongly
To make a lot of noise and trouble because you are angry or excited.
Mifano
- The crowd raised hell after the referee's bad call.
- He'll raise hell if they try to fire him.
raise hell
2/ɹˈeɪz hˈɛl/
idiom
informal
cause trouble or disturbance
To make trouble, protest loudly, or create a noisy disturbance.
Mifano
- The fans raised hell after their team lost.
- He’ll raise hell if he finds out what happened.