"hell week" means: The week during which new members are required to undergo undignified rites of initiation or gruelling discipline in order to be accepted in.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
hell week
(chiefly, US, idiomatic) The week during which new members are required to undergo undignified rites of initiation or gruelling discipline in order to be accepted into a fraternity, sorority, secret s
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(chiefly, US, idiomatic) The week during which new members are required to undergo undignified rites of initiation or gruelling discipline in order to be accepted into a fraternity, sorority, secret society, military group, etc.
“Halfway through hell week! 2/4 Ordeals have been completed.”
“hell week might be over !!!!! 😭😭”
"hell week" means: The week during which new members are required to undergo undignified rites of initiation or gruelling discipline in order to be accepted in.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"hell week" means: The week during which new members are required to undergo undignified rites of initiation or gruelling discipline in order to be accepted in.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a
Comments
(chiefly, US) In a college or university, the week leading up to final examinations.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Semantically related
- hell night77%
(chiefly, US) A night during which new members are required to undergo hazing rituals in order to be accepted into a fraternity, sorority, etc.
- frosh week65%
(university slang, Canada) A week of activities dedicated to new students at a college or university, held to prepare them for their first academic year.
- freshers' week63%
(British) The week before the academic aspects of a university start, when students may socialize and undergo induction.
- shark week63%
(informal, humorous, chiefly, North America) The week during which someone menstruates.