inferno

See also: Inferno

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/
• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) Rhymes: -ɜː(r)nəʊ

Noun

inferno (plural infernos)

1. A place or situation resembling Hell.
   • D. C. Worcester

     At each sudden explosion in the inferno below they sprang back from the brink [of the volcanic crater].

2. A large fire, a conflagration.
   • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 1, in Internal Combustion‎^[1]:

     Blast after blast, fiery outbreak after fiery outbreak, like a flaming barrage from within, […] most of Edison's grounds soon became an inferno. As though on an incendiary rampage, the fires systematically devoured the contents of Edison's headquarters and facilities.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:afterlife

Related terms

• infernal

Translations

place or situation resembling Hell

• Arabic: جَحِيم (jaḥīm), جَهَنَّم m (jahannam)
• Bashkir: тамуҡ (tamuq), йәһәннәм (yəhənnəm)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 地獄／地狱 (zh) (dìyù), 地狱 (zh) (dìyù)

• Danish: inferno n
• Finnish: pätsi (fi), helvetti (fi), inferno (fi)
• French: enfer (fr) m
• German: Hölle (de) f, Inferno (de) n
• Greek: κόλαση (el) f (kólasi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: inferno (it) m
• Japanese: 地獄 (ja) (じごく, jigoku)
• Korean: 지옥 (ko) (jiok) (地獄 (ko))
• Portuguese: inferno (pt) m
• Russian: ад (ru) m (ad), пе́кло (ru) n (péklo)
• Spanish: infierno (es) m
• Swedish: inferno (sv) n
• Vietnamese: địa ngục (vi) (地獄)

large fire

• Arabic: جَحِيم f (jaḥīm)
• Danish: inferno n
• Dutch: vuurzee (nl) f, inferno (nl) n
• Finnish: pätsi (fi), liekkimeri (fi)
• French: incendie (fr) m, brasier (fr) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 業火 (ja) (gōka), 猛火 (mōka)
• Maori: toronga, ahi nui whakaharahara
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: inferno n

  Nynorsk: inferno n

• Portuguese: inferno (pt) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} Inferno (de) n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Further reading

• “inferno”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “inferno”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Fronnie, nonfire

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Dutch

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter)

  Audio:

  (file)

Noun

inferno n (plural inferno's, diminutive infernootje n)

1. hell-like place or situation.
2. hellfire
3. a large fire

Synonyms

• (a hell-like place): onderwereld
• (hellfire): hellevuur
• (a large fire): vuurzee, vlammenzee

Related terms

• infernaal

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Galician

A 15th-century depiction. Santa María de Labrada, Galicia.

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese inferno, from Latin īnfernus (“infernal; of the lower regions”).

Pronunciation

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /iɱˈfɛɾno̝/

Noun

inferno m (plural infernos)

1. (Christianity) hell
2. (figurative) a very unpleasable or negative situation

Derived terms

• infernal
• inferniño

References

• Template:R:DDGM
• Template:R:DDLG
• Template:R:TILG
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “inferno”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

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Italian

Etymology

Latin infernum or infernus, meaning "hell", "underworld" (lit. beneath).

Pronunciation

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter)

  Audio:

  (file)

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) Rhymes: -ɛrno

infèrno, /inˈfɛrno/

Noun

inferno m (plural inferni)

1. hell
2. inferno

Related terms

• infernale

Descendants

• → Dutch: inferno
• → English: inferno
• → German: Inferno
• → Italiot Greek: ινφιέρνο (infiérno)
• → Norwegian: inferno
• → Swedish: inferno

Anagrams

• frenino
• nefroni

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Latin

Adjective

(deprecated template usage) īnfernō

1. (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) dative masculine singular of īnfernus
2. (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) dative neuter singular of īnfernus
3. (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) ablative masculine singular of īnfernus
4. (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) ablative neuter singular of īnfernus

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Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian inferno, from Latin infernus

Noun

inferno n (definite singular infernoet, indefinite plural inferno or infernoer, definite plural infernoa or infernoene)

1. an inferno

References

• “inferno” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “inferno” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian inferno, from Latin infernus

Noun

inferno n (definite singular infernoet, indefinite plural inferno, definite plural infernoa)

1. an inferno

References

• “inferno” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese inferno, iferno, from Latin īnfernus (“infernal; of the lower regions”).

Pronunciation

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛɾ.nu/
• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛɾ.nʊ/, /ĩ.ˈfɛʁ.nʊ/
• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛχ.nʊ/
• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛɻ.nʊ/
• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) IPA^(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛɾ.no/, /ĩ.ˈfɛɻ.no/
• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) Hyphenation: in‧fer‧no

Noun

inferno m (invariable)

1. (Christianity) hell (where sinners go)
2. (figurative) a very unpleasant or negative situation
3. (figurative) a very hot place

Interjection

1. hell (expressing discontent, unhappiness, or anger)

Related terms

• infernal
• inferninho

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Swedish

Noun

inferno n

1. an inferno; an extremely dangerous, chaotic and generally overwhelming situation

Usage notes

• Swedes would associate inferno with Dante but also with August Strindberg

Declension

Declension of inferno
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	inferno	infernot	infernon	infernona
Genitive	infernos	infernots	infernons	infernonas

Related terms

• infernalisk