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Hanoi Hilton

(US, military, slang, historical, euphemism) Hỏa Lò Prison in Vietnam, where prisoners of war were held and tortured.

ˈhænɔɪ ˈhɪltən44 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(US, military, slang, historical, euphemism) Hỏa Lò Prison in Vietnam, where prisoners of war were held and tortured.

The Hilton Hanoi Opera hotel has opened, a few blocks from Hoa Lo, the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” where American prisoners were held during the Vietnam War. (The few remaining cells of that prison have been preserved as a museum.)
Origin: From . An alliterative construction, pairing the location Hanoi (metonymically referring to North Vietnam) with a word referring to lodgings. An ironic reference to the Hilton chain of luxury hotels. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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