Sam Hill Definition & Meaning

American

Etymology

Examples

Sam Hill American

noun

Slang.

1. hell (used especially in WH-questions as a mild oath expressing exasperation and usually preceded by in orthe ).

   Who in Sam Hill are you?

Etymology

Origin of Sam Hill

1830–40, Sam (originally salmon, variant of Sal(o)mon an oath) + hill, euphemism for hell

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight. I just have one question: What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” she said, adding “I’m kidding, I love you MTV, this is amazing.”

From Los Angeles Times

But what in the Sam Hill is it?

From Slate

“And then like the director, Sam Hill will come out, ‘It was so good!

From Seattle Times

But the memories have stayed and been recorded by the Museum of London, external-link alongside those of his friend and fellow 1960s ball boy Sam Hill.

From BBC

Sam Hill, an editor at the technology website Digital Trends, has penned 647 articles about Wordle.

From Slate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.