“All Hell Broke Loose”

Written By Henry

BTS - “RUN”

💭 Meaning

“All hell broke loose” is used to describe a sudden outbreak of chaos, disorder, or uproar, i.e., when a situation spirals into pandemonium, often unexpectedly.

✍️ Examples

  • When the fire alarm went off during the exam, all hell broke loose in the classroom.

  • Henry thought the college info session would be routine, but when the surprise deadline change was announced, all hell broke loose among the parents.

  • The moment the referee made that controversial call, all hell broke loose in the stadium.

📜 Origin

The phrase has literary roots tracing back to John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), where it's used to describe demons pouring out of hell in a scene of chaos and destruction. Over the centuries, the phrase escaped its poetic and religious context and entered everyday English as a vivid way to describe any sudden eruption of chaos or disorder, from arguments to natural disasters to sports upsets.

 
Henry
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