1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the hellacious heat was more than we could bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hellacious
Even against a hellacious Houston defense, the Patriots’ shortest path to victory is to ask Maye to carry them yet again.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Playing a school driver who has to get a bunch of kids to safety during a hellacious, out-of-control California fire, McConaughey learned how to drive a bus, grinding gears and everything.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Having a baby is never an easy experience, but the sixth episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood plunged poor Julia (Hermione Corfield) into a hellacious labor experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Lineups featuring the trio of Dunn-Jones-Leonard are going to be hellacious.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Playing a school driver who has to get a bunch of kids to safety during a hellacious, out-of-control California fire, McConaughey learned how to drive a bus, grinding gears and everything.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Having a baby is never an easy experience, but the sixth episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood plunged poor Julia (Hermione Corfield) into a hellacious labor experience.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Lineups featuring the trio of Dunn-Jones-Leonard are going to be hellacious.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hellacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hellacious
Adjective
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By the final showdown, the production has made use of every bit of stage space, with sensational flying sequences (choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) that allow the vampires to float, hover, and—in one especially intense moment—dive from that bridge.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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The moment has sparked an outpouring of empathy, with many pointing to the intense pressure drivers face on the job.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But with the Lightning taking back home-ice advantage with this win and the series shifting back to Tampa, where Cooper will have full control of the matchup, the task becomes that much more difficult for the Suzuki line.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Data centers also have sharp demand spikes driven by computing-intensive tasks, such as training models.—
Mark Chediak,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Tilson Thomas’ New World Symphony, an ensemble and intensive three-year fellowship program for music school graduates to hone their craft, and its home at the New World Center in Miami Beach, are considered to be crown jewels in the Miami area’s art scene.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Last year, Blackstone President and COO Jon Gray also told new analysts that working hard and being collaborative are essential skills for success in today’s challenging job market.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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These Yiddish phrases have gotten me through many challenging situations.—
Gilda Dangot-Simpkin,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Along the way, there have been fast times, big doping busts and fierce corporate competition for the fastest humans in history.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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Pre-marketing fight lands in court The fiercest pushback to Compass’s marketing strategy came from Zillow, the country’s largest home-search platform.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Lightly coated with oil and tossed occasionally in a searing hot skillet or wok, even tough beans turn silky, and ready to coat in a finishing blast of chiles.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
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Comfortable travel can be achieved with stretchy, breathable pants, but securing a pair that hits those marks while looking stylish can be tough.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Behind a ferocious defense and an offense that couldn’t miss, the Knicks led by 25 points after one quarter, by as many as 51 points in the first half, and by as many as 61 points after halftime.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap have always been ferocious rappers, two goliaths spitting bilingual bars over gritty electronica with the couplet-completing precision of Run the Jewels.—
Dean Van Nguyen,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Experts who study such drugs welcomed rigorous, scientific scrutiny.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
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His novels, especially the later ones, were rigorous, ecstatic immensities unlike anything that anticipated them.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hellacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hellacious. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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