Phrase info Synonyms

What the hell

Meaning

(mildly vulgar, slang) An intensive form of what.
What the hell is going on?

(mildly vulgar, slang) Indicating acceptance, indulgence, or insouciance: Why not? Who cares?
It’s expensive, but what the hell, you only live once.
Surprisingly, dieters ate more ice cream after eating a large milkshake than after eating a small one. Dr. Polivy calls this the “What the hell” effect, which she describes as thinking “What the hell, my diet’s already broken, so I might as well eat everything in sight.”

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Synonyms

Examples

Anyway I'm standing there, dick all out in the wind and everything, wearing one sock and asking, "what the hell?" Source: Internet

Apart from his derogatory descriptions of undocumented immigrants, he attempted to court black voters in 2016 by them “what the hell do you have to lose?” and last August Jewish Americans of “great disloyalty” if they vote for Democrats. Source: Internet

A dozen years before I could tell him I remembered, and ask him what the hell had happened. Source: Internet

And Matt and I laughed like, “what the hell is a homestar runner?” Source: Internet

And if Stuart wants to raise his daughter strictly according to his own standards, what the hell is he doing in a group house? Source: Internet

And what the hell, we might as well stick with the awkward hockey dances theme … Source: Internet

Words in the phrase

Close letter words and terms