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infernal

in·fer·nal

UK/ɪnˈfɜː(ɹ)nəl/ US/ɪnˈfɝnəl/ uncommon

adjective

1.

characteristic of or resembling hell

  • “infernal noise”
  • “infernal punishment”
2.

extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell

  • “something demonic in him--something that could be cruel”
  • “fires lit up a diabolic scene”
  • “diabolical sorcerers under the influence of devils”
  • “a fiendish despot”
  • “hellish torture”
  • “infernal instruments of war”
  • “satanic cruelty”
  • “unholy grimaces”
3.

expletives used informally as intensifiers

  • “he”
  • “;”
  • “s a blamed shame”
  • “a blame cold winter”
  • “not a blessed dime”
  • “I”
  • “ll do any such thing”
  • “he”
  • “;”
  • “;”
4.

relating to or inhabiting hell

  • “his infernal majesty”
  • “infernal fires”
  • “infernal punishments”
5.

being of a lower world of the dead

  • “infernal regions”

noun

1.

an inhabitant of hell

  • “his roar made the infernals quake”

Origin

From Middle French infernal, from Medieval Latin infernalis, from Latin īnfernus, from īnferum (“netherworld, underworld, hell”), equivalent to inferno + -al.

Phrases

  • infernal device
  • infernal machine
  • infernal stone

Related words

Broader terms

See also

Pertaining to

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.