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The phrase “no hope in hell” means something has a slim or non-existent chance. It is a colorful idiom with emotional opinions and is linked to the phrase “chance of a snowball in hell.” The use of “hell” has historical and literary basis, and alternatives include “no chance” or “no chance on earth.”
The English usage of “no hope in hell” refers to a slim or non-existent chance of something happening. English speakers refer to something that “has no hope in hell” as one of several alternative idiomatic phrases. The use of the word “hell” is a peculiar way of speaking about the case that is most likely related to the allegedly harsh conditions of a “hellish” environment.
The phrase “no hope in hell” is linked to another longer idiom that illustrates some possible reasons for using the imagery of hell in relation to the chances of survival. The phrase “chance of a snowball in hell” is popular in American and English slang. For example, an English speaker might say that a proposal or plan “has no chance of a snowball in hell,” meaning the speaker feels the plan will never survive implementation. Here, it is the particularly hot temperatures associated with hell that provide the backdrop for the metaphorical phrasing. In particular, the “chance of a snowball in hell” is virtually nil, since high temperatures, as most people imagine, would quickly melt the snowball.
Some English speakers who don’t want to use this kind of metaphorical language will say the same thing much more efficiently by saying that something has “no chance”. Using “no hope in hell” or “snowball chance in hell” is usually associated with a somewhat emotional opinion about something. It is a colorful idiom that is usually used with a certain amount of oratorical passion.
The use of the idiom “no chance in hell” or “no hope in hell” has some historical and literary basis. For example, Dante’s “Inferno” includes a written motto above the gates of hell that reads Leave all hope, you who enter. This translates into English to “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” This phrase is another popular part of the English lexicon and provides a basis for more idiomatic uses of the word “hell.”
Along with all of the above phrases, English speakers can also say that something has “no chance,” where using “not at all” provides the same emphasis that would be represented using the word “hell.” Alternatively, those who substitute a more earthly phrase for a highly metaphorical one could be said that there is “no chance on earth” or “no chance on earth” for anything.
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