infernal

IPA/ɪnˈfɜːnl/
KK[ˌɪnfˈɚnəl]IPA/ɪnˈfɜːrnl/

infernal — adjective

  • infernalpositive
  • more infernalcomparative
  • most infernalsuperlative

1. describing something that is connected to or reminds you of hell — for example,

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing something that is connected to or reminds you of hell — for example, a fiery glow, a terrifying sound, or a place of great suffering.

Example

The infernal glow of the burning oil refinery could be seen from ten miles away.

attributive: infernal + glow describing hell-like fire

Diya entered the abandoned prison and said it felt like an infernal world.

Common collocations
  • infernal glow
  • infernal heat
  • infernal fire
  • infernal realm
  • infernal world
  • infernal creature
  • infernal noise
Synonyms
  • hellish

    more direct and common; can be used both before nouns and after linking verbs

  • underworld

    used as a noun or attributively, but less common as an adjective

  • fiery

    focuses on the fire aspect of hell, less on the evil or terrifying quality

Antonyms
  • heavenly

    describes something connected to heaven, the opposite of hell

  • celestial

    relating to the sky or heaven; opposite in literal religious sense

Grammar Patterns

infernal + noun

Usage Note

Attributive only — used before a noun, not after a linking verb. You cannot say 'The glow was infernal' in this literal sense.

Common Mistakes

The heat is infernal' (when meaning the literal hell-like quality).
The infernal heat rose from the ground.
in the literal 'relating to hell' sense, infernal is almost always used before a noun.

2. used to show that you are very annoyed or upset about something, calling it extr

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to show that you are very annoyed or upset about something, calling it extremely bad or unpleasant without meaning it literally.

Example

Harper slammed the door on that infernal vacuum cleaner after it broke for the third time.

informal: that infernal + [annoying object]

Mathieu could not concentrate with the infernal dripping from the bathroom pipe.

Common collocations
  • infernal noise
  • infernal machine
  • infernal racket
  • infernal device
  • infernal weather
  • infernal traffic
  • that infernal [thing]
Synonyms
  • damned

    stronger and more vulgar; infernal is milder

  • confounded

    old-fashioned but similar in meaning and register

  • wretched

    focuses on the thing causing misery rather than anger

Antonyms
  • wonderful

    the opposite emotional response

  • splendid

    positive evaluation, opposite register

Grammar Patterns

that infernal + noun

Usage Note

Frequently used in the pattern 'that infernal + noun' (that infernal machine, that infernal noise). Avoid using this sense in formal writing — it belongs to angry or frustrated speech.

Common Mistakes

The weather is infernal' (using it predicatively).
This infernal weather has ruined our picnic.
in this informal sense, infernal is almost always attributive and often starts with 'this' or 'that'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

Infernal, hellish, diabolical, and damnable all describe something extremely bad, but with different flavours. Hellish is the closest synonym and can be used both literally and figuratively ('a hellish journey home'). Diabolical adds a sense of cunning wickedness or evil intent ('a diabolical trap'). Damnable is more about moral disapproval and feels slightly old-fashioned ('a damnable lie'). Use infernal for everyday frustration with annoying things (noisy machines, bad weather), hellish for extreme physical or mental suffering, diabolical for something sinister or cleverly evil, and damnable when you want to express moral outrage. For example: 'This infernal traffic will make us late'; 'The pain after surgery was hellish'; 'The villain's diabolical plan involved hidden cameras.'

infernal ↗hellish ↗diabolical ↗damnable

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • infernally

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Infernal comes from the Latin word 'infernus' meaning 'below' or 'underground'. The ancient Romans believed that the world of the dead was located beneath the earth. From 'infernus' came the Latin adjective 'infernalis', which passed into Old French and then into English during the 1300s. The original meaning was simply 'of the underworld', and over time it developed the stronger sense of 'hell-like' and later the informal sense of 'extremely annoying'.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1