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 (Southern England)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəʊ

Noun

inferno (plural infernos)

1. 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].

2. 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, 34:59 from the start, in Battle of Samar - What if TF34 was there?‎, archived from the original on 8 August 2022:

     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.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:afterlife

Derived terms

• towering inferno

Related terms

• infernal

Translations

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• Fronnie, nonfire

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)

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

Finnish

Etymology

From Italian inferno.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈinferno/,
• Rhymes: -inferno
• Syllabification^(key): in‧fer‧no

Noun

inferno

1. inferno (place resembling hell, large fire)

Declension

Galician

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iɱˈfɛɾno̝/

Noun

inferno m (plural infernos)

1. (Christianity) hell
2. (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 1

Borrowed from Latin īnfernus (“of the lower regions”), derived from īnferus (“low”).

Adjective

inferno (feminine inferna, masculine plural inferni, feminine plural inferne)

1. hellish, infernal
2. (uncommon) lower, inferior

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”).

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

Etymology 3

From the toponym Inferno (a place near Sondrio).

Noun

inferno m (plural inferni)

1. a kind of red wine

Further reading

• inferno¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• inferno² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• inferno³ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• frenino, nefroni

Latin

Adjective

īnfernō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of īnfernus

Noun

īnfernō m

1. dative/ablative singular of īnfernus

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).

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.

Portuguese

Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:

inferno

Wikipedia ^pt

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ĩ.ˈfɛɻ.nu/
• Hyphenation: in‧fer‧no

Noun

inferno m (plural infernos)

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

Interjection

inferno!

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

Related terms

• infernal
• inferninho

Further reading

• “inferno” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

inferno

Wikipedia ^sv

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

Related terms

• infernalisk

References

• inferno in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• inferno in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• inferno in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)