what the hell
∞
8.9
- idiom
- NSFW
- What the hell is going on?
- what the hell is going on
- what the hell happened
- what the hell do you mean
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Watch on YouTubeI said, what the hell am I going to sell?
- I said, what the hell am I going to sell?
- All right, Rob the economy, what the hell is going on?
- Holy headband, what the hell is he doing?
- Sorry, but what the hell is cheese popcorn?
- I've, I've seen one and it's been like, what the hell, you know?
- And so this begs the question, what the hell is Zillow doing?
- So you may be wondering, what the hell do they want?
- You want to know what the hell to do like.
- I can't believe it's nearly September, like what the hell, what the hell?
- Hey honey, hey, what the hell are you doing?
- It's like him walking out just like, oh, what the hell, It's happening for real.
Examples
-
What the hell's wrong with you?
-
Um, excuse me, but would someone mind telling me what the hell is going on?
Fiction book (1997) -
I said, what the hell am I going to sell?
-
With all due respect, what the hell are you doing now?
-
Then I was like, what the hell is that?
-
You know, he thought, what the hell kind of place is this?
-
I said, I mean, what the hell do you think we do?
-
I just want to understand, OK, What the hell are you talking about?
-
Yo, what the hell are they talking about, man?
-
I walked into the room and asked, 'What the hell is going on?'
Synonyms
∞
9.2
Shows strong anger, annoyance, or surprise in rude informal speech
448
7.5
A small amount of care or worry about something
315
9.4
A word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or concern
200
9.7
A strong expression showing anger, surprise, or urgency
169
9.9
A strong phrase people say when they are very surprised or shocked
147
8.9
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
112
9.9
A short phrase people say to show surprise or confusion
100
9.9
Shows strong anger or annoyance in a rude way
80
2.6
Words people say when they are surprised to see something
79
9.8
A short phrase showing surprise and not believing what someone said
62
6.7
A word people say when they feel annoyed or surprised
50
9.9
A rude strong swear word people say when angry or frustrated
47
9.9
Adds strong anger or surprise to what you say
43
9.9
A very rude phrase people say to show strong anger or annoyance
42
9.9
Say it when you suddenly feel upset or annoyed about a mistake
37
8.1
Words people say to show strong surprise or shock
35
9.6
To say when you are very surprised or shocked
35
8.9
A way to show strong frustration or disbelief about someone's words and actions
34
8.8
A short cry people use to show surprise or amazement
30
8.4
A short phrase people say when they feel frustrated or disappointed
29
7.6
A short phrase people say to show surprise or disbelief
25
9.5
A phrase said to show surprise, confusion, or annoyance
23
9.9
A strong rude shout people use when they feel very angry or shocked
21
8.4
A short angry cry people say when they feel annoyed or frustrated
21
9.9
People say a strong angry word when they feel very annoyed
13
9.9
A short sound people make when they feel frustrated, annoyed, or surprised
11
7.5
A short phrase people say to show surprise or shock
10
9.5
A short word people say when they are surprised or shocked
7
9.9
A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance
5
9.9
A short informal way people use to show surprise, confusion, or disbelief
4
9.9
A short word people say to show surprise, discomfort, or mild disgust at something awkward
4
9.9
A short phrase people say when they are annoyed
4
9.9
A way to say you are surprised or do not believe something
2
9.9
An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something
1
9.9
An exclamation said when something suddenly goes wrong
1
9.9
A short phrase people say when they feel surprised or do not believe something
1
9.9
A strong spoken reaction showing surprise and disbelief
1
9.9
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
1
9.9
An informal phrase people say to show surprise or disbelief
1
9.9
A short word said to show surprise or mild anger
To say or write a short exclamation to show surprise
A word people say to show strong surprise
A short shout showing surprise, alarm, or disbelief
A short cry people say to show surprise or anger
How Strong
- Offensive
1
9.9
- NSFW
∞
8.9
- Informal
147
8.9
- Informal
1
9.9
- Informal
1
9.9
- Informal
112
9.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines the interrogative 'what' with 'hell' used as an emphatic intensifier, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will likely infer a strong exclamation of surprise, disbelief, or annoyance. However, the pragmatic force and rude/expletive usage is idiomatic and not fully predictable from the constituents, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The expression what the hell may come from people adding the hell, a strong word for a bad place, to the question what to make it sound stronger. So when someone says what the hell, they show 'disbelief', 'surprise', or 'annoyance'.