1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the hellacious heat was more than we could bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
the pioneers survived a particularly hellacious river crossing with their covered wagon barely in one piece
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hellacious
Caruso isn't the only reason why the Thunder boast such a hellacious defense this year, but he's been a major contributor to it.
—
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Johnny Robles destroyed James Settle in just 20 seconds with a hellacious right cross.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Lineups featuring the trio of Dunn-Jones-Leonard are going to be hellacious.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Anthony is a believably confused Everyteen caught up in the season’s escalating hellacious hijinks.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Johnny Robles destroyed James Settle in just 20 seconds with a hellacious right cross.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Lineups featuring the trio of Dunn-Jones-Leonard are going to be hellacious.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Anthony is a believably confused Everyteen caught up in the season’s escalating hellacious hijinks.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellacious
Adjective
-
The auto-revive for solo players on Night Lords is to combat the intense difficulties of those fights where a single wrong move can be death.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
But Tranter and Bartlett said Trump may settle roughly into this range of having an approval rating between 43 percent and 47 percent given the intense polarization of the country, as has been common in the past couple administrations.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Ware picked up all the cases while on intensive supervised release after serving three years and three months for aiding and abetting first-degree robbery out of Hennepin County.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
6 June 2025
-
Russia used a Tu-160 in intensive overnight missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, Kyiv's air force said on Friday.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Many Russian military bloggers chided the military for its failure to build protective shields for the bombers despite previous attacks, but the large size of the planes makes that challenging.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 June 2025
-
Building wealth can be a challenging task, especially in challenging economic times.—
Anne-Lyse Ngatta,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The feedback was fierce—storyboards dismantled, ideas shredded—but the environment was psychologically safe.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Caron was used to seeing my fiery side, the fierce competitor, the demanding coach.—
Jim Calhoun with Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
This is a time for doing the tough, often unglamorous job of making the city function for all New Yorkers.—
Scott Stringer,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2025
-
For the body-conscious dad Finding time to exercise, as well as to recover from a workout, during a busy travel schedule can be tough.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
America, then, was visible to Fuller as the ferocious winds destroyed the vessel.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
The Thunder are deep, play ferocious defense and have a star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who embraces the big moment.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
These days, most people delivering your forecasts are scientists with rigorous training in calculus, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, atmospheric physics and the other meteorological coursework.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation ensures accrediting agencies uphold rigorous standards.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share