infernal
14
7.4
- adjective
- /ɪnˈfɜrnəl/
- Informal
:
maldito
- But that infernal hope is what often keeps us stuck.
But that infernal hope is what often keeps us stuck.
- But that infernal hope is what often keeps us stuck.
Examples
-
This infernal heat is making it impossible to concentrate.
-
What's all this infernal racket?
-
I figure it must be the infernal Revenue.
-
I'm never going to get off this infernal planet.
-
Let's drink to his health, the infernal fool.
-
What was that infernal banging?
-
I can't bear all this infernal noise.
Fiction book (1991) -
Stop that infernal noise!
-
What an infernal fuss.
-
Why, the infernal scoundrel.
Synonyms
∞
7.5
Shows that something is very strong or important
659
9.2
Shows strong anger, annoyance, or surprise in rude informal speech
300
5.6
Said to make something sound very strong
121
9.9
Shows strong anger or annoyance in a rude way
27
7.4
An informal word that makes a feeling stronger, for example very tired
26
5.3
Causing you to feel very angry or annoyed
9
9.9
Adds strong anger or surprise to what you say
1
8.7
Causing people to feel annoyed or frustrated
1
8.6
A mild word people use to show they are annoyed about something
1
9.4
A word that shows mild anger or strong feeling about something
1
9.9
A word people say before an adjective to show strong annoyance or emphasis
A mild rude word that you put before a noun to show annoyance
Put before a noun to show strong annoyance
Often comes before a word to show anger or surprise
Used before a noun to show strong annoyance
Antonyms
Compounds
How Annoying
Surface Forms
Morphology
infernal = infern + al
The use as an intensifier is a conventional figurative extension of the inherited adjective, not a meaning that a learner can straightforwardly derive from a productive English base.
Etymology
Infernal comes from Latin infernus, meaning 'underworld', and a helpful way to remember it is to think of something so bad or annoying it feels like 'hell'. So when people call a noisy machine or a problem 'infernal', they mean it is extremely annoying or frustrating.