German word

Hölle

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhœlə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhell

Example

Die Arbeit war die Hölle.

The work was hell.

Illustration for Hölle (hell)

More examples

Für die Bewohner war die Flut eine Hölle auf Erden.

For the inhabitants, the flood was a hell on earth.

Core concept

A place from which suffering offers no apparent exit, a picture extended to exhausting work, conflict, or other ordeals.

Common phrases

  • die Hölle auf Erden

    hell on earth

  • jemanden zur Hölle jagen

    drive someone to hell

  • zur Hölle gehen

    go to hell

Similar words

Qual: Severe suffering or pain that continues for a long time.
Albtraum: An extremely distressing experience that feels unreal and terrifying.
Folter: Severe physical or mental suffering deliberately inflicted on someone.
Katastrophe: A large-scale disaster or major breakdown with serious consequences.

Definition in German

Ein Ort ewiger Strafe und Qual; im übertragenen Sinn eine sehr unangenehme, quälende Situation.

Word origin

Hölle is a Germanic inheritance rather than a later borrowing; its ancestor *haljō also gave English hell through separate Germanic developments.

Usage tips

  • The figurative use is common in colloquial German, while formal contexts may prefer a more specific description of the problem.

Opposites

  • Himmelheavennoun
  • Seligkeitblissnoun

Related words

  • Höllenfahrtdescent into hellnoun
  • höllischhellishadjective

Word lists with this word