What is the meaning of the phrase ‘as hot as hell’?
Extremely and uncomfortably hot.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘as hot as hell’?
The phrase ‘as hot as hell’ is an example of both a simile and hyperbole. A simile is a type of metaphor where two things are compared with one another using either the word ‘like’ or the word ‘as’. Hyperbole meanwhile is a word for exaggeration. The phrase is used to discuss the temperature of something in an exaggerated way.
The phrases ‘hot as hell’ and ‘hot as hades’ have been traced back in print only to the 18th century, however it is believed that the phrases came into use verbally much earlier.
The words ‘hell’ and ‘hades’ refer to a concept in Christianity where those who sin but don’t repent are sent when they pass away on earth. It is considered the opposite of heaven. The word ‘hell’ appears 21 times in the New Testament section of the Bible alone albeit under various names, including Hades, Gehenna, Hell, and Tartarus. Hell is usually depicted as being an underground fiery pit that is home to the devil itself. In Revelations 21:8, it says “But the fearful, and unbelieving … shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.”
The adjunct ‘as hell’ is often used as an intensifier for hyperbole when referring to things other than a hot temperature. For instance, one might describe an aesthetically attractive person as ‘hot as hell’.
