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
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəʊ
Noun
inferno (plural infernos)
- A place or situation resembling Hell.
- 1899, D. C. Worcester, The Philippine Islands and Their People:
- At each sudden explosion in the inferno below they sprang back from the brink [of the volcanic crater].
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- A large fire; a conflagration.
- 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 1, in Internal Combustion:
- 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.
- 2021 May 5, Drachinifel, Battle of Samar - What if TF34 was there?, archived from the original on 8 August 2022, retrieved 7 August 2022, 34:59 from the start:
- Unfortunately for Admiral Kurita, this is where the good news ends. The fire started by New Jersey's hit amidships has spread, and there is now a towering inferno that occupies the middle third of the Japanese battleship.
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Synonyms
Related terms
Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Further reading
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
Audio (file)
Noun
inferno n (plural inferno's, diminutive infernootje n)
Synonyms
- (a hell-like place): onderwereld
- (hellfire): hellevuur
- (a large fire): vuurzee, vlammenzee
Finnish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈinferno/, [ˈiɱfe̞rno̞]
- Rhymes: -inferno
- Syllabification(key): in‧fer‧no
Declension
Inflection of inferno (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | inferno | infernot | |
genitive | infernon | infernojen infernoiden infernoitten | |
partitive | infernoa | infernoja infernoita | |
illative | infernoon | infernoihin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | inferno | infernot | |
accusative | nom. | inferno | infernot |
gen. | infernon | ||
genitive | infernon | infernojen infernoiden infernoitten | |
partitive | infernoa | infernoja infernoita | |
inessive | infernossa | infernoissa | |
elative | infernosta | infernoista | |
illative | infernoon | infernoihin | |
adessive | infernolla | infernoilla | |
ablative | infernolta | infernoilta | |
allative | infernolle | infernoille | |
essive | infernona | infernoina | |
translative | infernoksi | infernoiksi | |
instructive | — | infernoin | |
abessive | infernotta | infernoitta | |
comitative | — | infernoineen |
Possessive forms of inferno (type palvelu) | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | singular | plural |
1st person | infernoni | infernomme |
2nd person | infernosi | infernonne |
3rd person | infernonsa |
Galician

Etymology
Inherited from Old Portuguese inferno, from Latin īnfernus (“infernal; of the lower regions”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /iɱˈfɛɾno̝/
Noun
inferno m (plural infernos)
- (Christianity) hell
- (figurative) a very unpleasable or negative situation
Derived terms
- infernal
- inferniño
References
- “inferno” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
- “inferno” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
- “inferno” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
- “inferno” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /inˈfɛr.no/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛrno
- Hyphenation: in‧fèr‧no
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Late Latin īnfernus, īnfernum (“the depths of the earth”), noun use of īnfernus (“of the lower regions”), derived from īnferus (“low”).
Related terms
Descendants
Further reading
Latin
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
inferno n (definite singular infernoet, indefinite plural inferno or infernoer, definite plural infernoa or infernoene)
- an inferno
Norwegian Nynorsk
Portuguese
Etymology
Inherited from Old Portuguese inferno, iferno, from Latin īnfernus (“infernal; of the lower regions”).
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ĩˈfɛʁ.nu/ [ĩˈfɛɦ.nu]
- (São Paulo) IPA(key): /ĩˈfɛɾ.nu/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /ĩˈfɛʁ.nu/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ĩˈfɛɻ.no/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ĩˈfɛɾ.nu/
- (Caipira) IPA(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛɻ.nu/
- Hyphenation: in‧fer‧no
Noun
inferno m (plural infernos)
- (Christianity) hell (where sinners go)
- (figurative) a very unpleasant or negative situation
- (figurative) a very hot place
Related terms
Swedish
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 |