the hell

Definitions

1. 1

   Used to indicate emphatic rejection of an assertion or request.

   • A: I can run faster than a horse. B: The hell you can!
   • 'You stay here, sir,' O'Bannion instructed. 'The hell I will,' Feeney said.
2. 2

   Expletive used for emphasis, typically after an interrogative term or relative pronoun.

   • What the hell was that?
   • I thought we were all sisters and brothers I guess I am not accepted. I sure wish the hell I stayed in the closet.
   • D'Allesandro was particularly adept at that kind of flash-forward-then-backward-all-the-hell-over-the-place kind of narrative and like a tourist following a well-seasoned guide, you never lose track of the line.
3. 3

   Ellipsis of what the hell, an exclamation indicating surprise or dismay.

   • “She said she had a date later!” “The hell!” exclaimed Crane.
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      Ellipsis of what the hell (“what”).

      • The hell is that?
      • The hell am I supposed to do with half a kid?
      • Wilson: He's right. They endorse Royce, fine, the hell else they gonna do?

The neighborhood