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hellishness

hellishness

1 8.4
A state of great suffering that feels like being in hell
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛlɪʃnəs/
translation icon : infernidad
  • It was the sort of thing everyone instinctively knew in his time, though from pure hellishness he had occasionally amused himself by cocking a snook at the standard.
  • the hellishness of war

Examples

  • That's the hellishness of this situation.

  • Stop this hellishness now!

  • Branagh's Henry V reveals—indeed, revels in—the hellishness of war in all its aspects.

    Academic text (1991)
  • It also celebrates a miraculous event, a royal hero's triumph over that hellishness, and the wresting of glory from inclement circumstances through sheer effort, determination, and a kind of heroic innocence.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The documentary explored the hellishness of living in a war-torn country.

  • Many people cannot comprehend the hellishness faced by those experiencing poverty and hunger.

  • The film depicted the hellishness of a natural disaster, showing the suffering of affected families.

Synonyms

hell
vshellishness
  • Informal
3.7

A very painful or difficult experience

is the abstract quality rather than the concrete painful situation
torment
vshellishness
  • NSFW
70 5.6

Great physical or mental pain someone feels

is the general state of being extremely unpleasant, not the act of causing pain
awfulness
vshellishness
7 6.0

A very unpleasant quality that makes people feel bad

is stronger, adding misery, terror, and extreme difficulty
inferno
vshellishness
  • Literature
7 8.2

A situation of great danger and destruction, like war or a big fire

is the quality of extreme unpleasantness rather than the physical or fiery scene
wretchedness
vshellishness
3 7.1

A state of great unhappiness and suffering often caused by poverty

is broader, adding terrifying and extremely difficult aspects beyond misery
grimness
vshellishness
2 6.7

A harsh, unpleasant quality that makes people feel afraid or worried

is less about stern harshness and more about severe suffering
hideousness
vshellishness
2 6.3

Extreme ugliness that makes people feel shocked or disgusted

is about deep suffering and terror, not only ugly looks
terribleness
vshellishness
1 6.6

A state when something is very bad and frightening

is more about misery and ongoing difficulty than simple dread
horribleness
vshellishness
1 5.9

A very unpleasant, shocking state that causes fear or disgust

is broader, covering extreme unpleasantness beyond sudden shock
gruesomeness
vshellishness
  • NSFW
1 7.0

A very shocking and frightening scene or detail that makes you feel sick

is not focused on graphic detail but on overall extreme misery
loathsomeness
vshellishness
1 9.1

A strong feeling that something is very unpleasant or disgusting

is broader, covering general misery, terror, and severe hardship
nightmarishness
vshellishness
9.1

A quality that makes situations feel very frightening and unpleasant

is less about pure terror and more about broad misery and difficulty
horridness
vshellishness
7.7

A very unpleasant quality that shocks people

is more about sustained misery and difficulty than mere dread
dreadfulness
vshellishness
7.7

A very strong feeling of fear when something is shocking or awful

is less about fear and more about general suffering and hardship
unbearableness
vshellishness
7.0

A quality that makes pain or trouble very hard to stand

is broader, combining intolerability with strong terror and misery
monstrousness
vshellishness
7.8

The quality of being very ugly or cruel in a way that shocks people

is less about cruelty or ugly appearance and more about broad suffering

Antonyms

190 1.0

A feeling of physical ease and being free from pain

2 3.4

A feeling that something is nice and enjoyable

How Unpleasant

hellishness
1 8.4
torment
  • NSFW
70 5.6
suffering
636 2.8
misery
310 2.8
discomfort
119 3.2

Surface Forms

hellishness singular
hellishnesses plural

Morphology

hellishness = hellish (transparent) = hell + ish + ness

The noun is a regular nominalization of the adjective 'hellish' with '-ness', and 'hellish' is transparently formed from 'hell' + '-ish'.

Etymology

Hellishness comes from hell ('a place of great suffering') plus the ending -ish ('like') and -ness ('state or quality'). So hellishness means the 'state of being like hell', which is why we use it for something very unpleasant, miserable, or terrifying.