inferno
noun
in·fer·no
in-ˈfər-(ˌ)nō 
plural infernos
: a place or a state that resembles or suggests hell
the inferno of war
Examples of inferno in a Sentence
By the time help arrived, the fire had grown to a raging inferno.
the intense heat of the raging inferno repeatedly drove back the firefighters
Recent Examples on the Web
In Nickel Boys, the inferno is called the Nickel Academy and the story zooms in on a friendship between two young men, studious and hopeful Elwood, played by Ethan Herisse, and Brandon Wilson’s more cynical Turner.
—
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2024
This is important because any sort of flaw in a battery could lead to an inferno, says Venkat Srinivasan, who studies batteries and directs the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science at the US’s Argonne National Laboratory.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 15 Sep. 2024
Since then, things are … different: That burn has become an inferno in the form of 68 million streams per week, star-making appearances at Coachella and on Jimmy Fallon, and a Lollapalooza performance that may well have drawn a record-setting crowd.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2024
Fortunately, firefighters were gaining an edge over the infernos as temperatures dropped.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inferno 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2024
This is important because any sort of flaw in a battery could lead to an inferno, says Venkat Srinivasan, who studies batteries and directs the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science at the US’s Argonne National Laboratory.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 15 Sep. 2024
Since then, things are … different: That burn has become an inferno in the form of 68 million streams per week, star-making appearances at Coachella and on Jimmy Fallon, and a Lollapalooza performance that may well have drawn a record-setting crowd.
—Charlie Harding, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2024
Fortunately, firefighters were gaining an edge over the infernos as temperatures dropped.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inferno
Articles Related to inferno
Dictionary Entries Near inferno
Cite this Entry
“Inferno.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferno. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inferno
noun
in·fer·no
in-ˈfər-nō
plural infernos
: a place or state that resembles or suggests hell especially in great heat or raging fire
Etymology
from Italian inferno "underworld, hell," from Latin infernus (same meaning), from earlier infernus (adjective) "lying beneath, in the lower regions"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share