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Added 5 October 2026

inferno

/ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/ noun

In Latin: incendium Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about inferno at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any place of pain and turmoil.
the hell of battle
A very intense and uncontrolled fire.
(Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment.
Hurl'd headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell

Origin

From Italian inferno (“hell”), from Latin infernus (“of the lower regions”), inferna (“the lower regions”); see infernal. The meaning "big fire" came as a figurative use from the traditional idea of hellfire.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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