Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

give sb hell

informal

Definition

If someone gives you hell, they criticize you severely: She gave me hell for being 20 minutes late.Disapproving and criticizingDamaging reputation If something gives you hell, it causes you a lot of pain: These new shoes are giving me hell.Pain and painful
(Definition of give sb hell from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Browse related topics

You are looking at an entry to do with Disapproving & criticizing, but you might be interested in these topics from the Expressing opposition & disapproval topic area:

Word of the Day

be under a cloud

to not be trusted or popular because people think you have done something bad

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More