English Meaning & Definitions
A large fire that is dangerously out of control; or, a place or situation characterized by intense heat or chaotic destruction.
- “The forest fire turned the valley into a raging inferno within minutes.”
- “The city center became an inferno of smoke and debris following the explosion.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “inferno”.
Derived from the Italian 'inferno', which comes from the Late Latin 'infernus' (lower, underground, or hellish). It is famously associated with Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem 'Inferno', the first part of the 'Divine Comedy', which vividly depicted the nine circles of hell.
Think of 'in' + 'ferno' (like furnace); if you are IN a furnace, you are in an inferno.
Frequently Asked Questions About “inferno”
1. What is the meaning of “inferno” in English?
In English, inferno (noun) is defined as: “A large fire that is dangerously out of control; or, a place or situation characterized by intense heat or chaotic destruction.”.
2. How do you use “inferno” in a sentence?
“The forest fire turned the valley into a raging inferno within minutes.”
3. What are English synonyms of “inferno”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “inferno”?
Derived from the Italian 'inferno', which comes from the Late Latin 'infernus' (lower, underground, or hellish). It is famously associated with Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem 'Inferno', the first part of the 'Divine Comedy', which vividly depicted the nine circles of hell.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.