helluv
English · Thesaurus
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helluv¹
Where it comes from
From "hell of (a)", like hella (originally Northern California slang). See also Wikipedia:Hella (word).
adjective
-
Intensifier, signifies an abundance of a thing; much or many.
Hey, if you guys get the munchies, there's helluv candy in the cupboard.
Similar: mad
adverb
- Intensifier (modifies verbs); to a large extent; totally; very much. Dude, I helluv want to go to the show with you, but I'm soooo grounded.
-
Intensifier (modifies adjectives); to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly.
That new girl is helluv sexy.
Similar: wicked
interjection
- For sure; totally; hell yeah; used as a strong affirmation of something that was just said, accomplished, or revealed. "Hey, you wanna come to the concert tonight?" "Oh, helluv!"
helluv²
Where it comes from
Shortened form, or elision, of phrases like "hell of" or "hell have", approximating casual speech in writing.
contraction
- Elision of "hell of". Oh, you goddam-betcha, Julie, it's one helluva lot better — one HELLUV A lot better — to be born dirt-poor. Course then you get to stay that way the rest of your life.
- Elision of "the hell of". “Helluv it is,” he grumbled. “I was thinking of marrying her myself. Wrote her a letter, but it didn't get posted in time.”
- Elision of "hell have" Where the helluv you been?
Talk about this word "helluv." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/helluv. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. helluv. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/helluv "helluv." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/helluv.Cite this
@misc{helluv_2026,
title = {helluv},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/helluv},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
