hell will freeze over

USAGE SUMMARY

'hell will freeze over' is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is used to indicate a situation that is unlikely, usually to an extreme degree. For example, "I don't think he would ever agree to that, it would be like hell freezing over."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

Hell will freeze over before the highbrow Oscar judges make a Sandra Bullock vehicle Best Picture, so you can count The Blind Side out of the running.

Independent

Hell will freeze over before Mourinho admits to a reappraisal of managerial style, but the signs of subtle readjustment to reality are beginning to emerge, even as he has to endure a torrent of boos and further taunts of " you're getting sacked in the morning".

Independent

“Hell will freeze over before this CEO implements ANOTHER EMPLOYEE benefit in this culture,” Patterson vented.

Forbes

The German World Cup winner tweeted:  "Hell will freeze over before this transfer would happen".

BBC

Speaking to Tom Burridge, he said "hell will freeze over before the government of Gibraltar removes any of those blocks".

BBC

Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo told us "hell will freeze over before the government of Gibraltar moves any of those blocks".

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

"Hell will freeze and we will be skating on the lava before I change," he said.

The Guardian

"As far as Bevin is concerned, hell will freeze before we endorse him," Phillips wrote.

Huffington Post

"Hell might freeze over now".

The New York Times - Sports

So you never know, hell might freeze over".

The Guardian - Sport

The chancellor needed to say that hell would freeze over before the rest of the UK would agree.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hell will freeze over" to express a strong belief that something is impossible or extremely unlikely. It adds emphasis and color to your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "hell will freeze over" in literal contexts. It's an idiom, so its strength comes from its exaggeration, not from describing actual weather conditions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hell will freeze over" functions as an idiomatic expression used to express the speaker's strong belief that something is impossible or extremely unlikely to occur. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase adds emphasis to a statement.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

17%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hell will freeze over" is a common idiom used to express extreme unlikelihood or impossibility. Ludwig AI confirms this is a widely understood phrase, mainly used in News & Media context. When writing, it's best to use this phrase in informal settings to add emphasis. Although the phrase is grammatically correct it's worth to consider a number of more formal alternatives, such as "highly improbable" or "extremely unlikely".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

when pigs fly

A classic idiom conveying the same level of impossibility.

not a snowball's chance in hell

Emphasizes the lack of any possibility of something happening.

it's a cold day in hell

Similar to the original phrase, highlighting an extremely unlikely occurrence.

when the seas run dry

Suggests an event will only happen when a natural impossibility occurs.

never in a million years

Highlights the extreme improbability over a vast expanse of time.

not if I can help it

Indicates strong opposition to allowing something to happen, implying it's highly unlikely.

over my dead body

Suggests strong opposition, implying the event is extremely unlikely to occur with the speaker's consent.

fat chance

An informal way of saying something is very unlikely.

in your dreams

Suggests that someone's wish or expectation is unrealistic and unlikely to happen.

that'll be the day

Expresses disbelief that something will ever happen.

FAQs

How can I use "hell will freeze over" in a sentence?

You can use "hell will freeze over" to emphasize the unlikelihood of a situation. For example, "Hell will freeze over before I agree to that deal."

What does "hell will freeze over" actually mean?

The expression "hell will freeze over" means that something is extremely unlikely or virtually impossible to happen. It's a figure of speech, not a literal prediction.

Are there other phrases with a similar meaning to "hell will freeze over"?

Yes, you can use other idioms like "when pigs fly", or say there's "not a snowball's chance in hell" to express the same idea.

Is it appropriate to use "hell will freeze over" in formal writing?

While widely understood, "hell will freeze over" is generally considered informal. In formal contexts, consider alternatives like "highly improbable" or "extremely unlikely".