helluva
helluva Lexical Profile
helluva Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Remarkable, extraordinary, or very great in degree, size, or quality (used informally as an intensifier before a singular noun).
"The community volunteers did a helluva job organizing the charity fundraiser on such short notice."
• adverb
Extremely or exceedingly (used informally as an intensifier before an adjective or adverb).
"That mountain trail is a helluva long hike to complete in a single afternoon."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because "helluva" is a colloquial contraction of "hell of a" that already incorporates the indefinite article "a" at the end, it is preceded by "a" ("a helluva time") and used exclusively before singular nouns or adjectives modifying singular nouns.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 20th century, "helluva" is an informal eye-dialect contraction representing the rapid, casual pronunciation of the phrase "hell of a."