infernal
/ɪnˈfɝnəl/adjective, noun
infernal is spelled I-N-F-E-R-N-A-L: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,918th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, infernal means “Of or relating to hell, or the world of the dead; hellish” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in infernal?
| Letters | 8: I-N-F-E-R-N-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,918th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is infernal?
Infernal appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,918th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce infernal?
- UK /ɪnˈfɜː(ɹ)nəl/
- US /ɪnˈfɝnəl/
Infernal has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-infernal.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with infernal?
11 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as infernal from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹnəl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of infernal
- more infernal comparative
- most infernal superlative
- infernals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does infernal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to hell, or the world of the dead; hellish.
- 2
Of or relating to a fire or inferno.
- 3
Stygian, gloomy.
- 4
Diabolical or fiendish.
- 5
Very annoying; damned.
noun
- 1
An inhabitant of the infernal regions, a demon.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Infernal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of or relating to hell, or the world of the dead; hellish:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | infernal |
| German | höllisch, infernalisch |
| Portuguese | infernal |
| Spanish | infernal |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does infernal come from?
From Middle French infernal, from Medieval Latin infernalis, from Latin īnfernus, from īnferum (“netherworld, underworld, hell”), equivalent to inferno + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).