gambling hell
- noun
- /ˈɡæmblɪŋ hɛl/
- Archaic
:
casa de juego
- The new show at the gambling hell attracted a crowd eager for both entertainment and the thrill of betting.
Examples
-
They are then conned out of their earnings in a gambling hell, where Curtin is slipped a mickey.
Academic text (2002) -
After losing a large sum of money, he vowed never to return to the gambling hell on the corner of Main Street.
-
Almost every other door opens into a gambling hell and concert hall.
Blog text (22) -
She warned her friends about the risks of visiting a gambling hell, where people often become addicted to betting.
Synonyms
513
2.6
A building where people gamble and often enjoy shows or food
4
3.2
A building where people bet and find other entertainment like shows
2
3.9
A public building where people play games for money, like a casino
2
4.4
A secret place where people play games for money, often illegally
1
3.7
A shop where people place bets on sports events
A public place where people play games for money like roulette and card games
How Respectable
4
3.2
513
2.6
2
3.9
2
4.4
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly inferable from combining 'gambling' (activity of risking money) with 'hell' used metaphorically for an unpleasant or disreputable place, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily interpret it as a bad place where people gamble. This noun+noun composition is a productive, surface-level figurative pattern rather than an idiosyncratic idiom, making it transparent.
Etymology
Gambling hell paints a picture of a dark, noisy room where gambling (betting money) happens and people often lose cash. The word hell was used to mean a terrible, dangerous place, so the phrase means 'an illegal or bad place where people gamble for money'.