Hellishness

/ˈhɛlɪʃnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being hellish; the characteristic of being extremely unpleasant, cruel, or torturous.

Etymology

Formed from 'hellish' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness,' which creates abstract nouns from adjectives. This follows the productive pattern in English of converting qualities into countable or measurable states.

Kelly Says

The suffix '-ness' in English is so powerful that almost any adjective can become an abstract noun—'hellishness' lets us discuss the concept itself rather than just specific hellish situations.

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