Heck Definition & Meaning

  • American
  • British
  • Etymology
  • Examples
  • heck 1 American [hek] / hɛk /

    interjection

    1. (used as a mild expression of annoyance, rejection, disgust, etc.).

      What the heck do you care?

    noun

    1. something remarkable of its kind (usually used in the phraseheck of a ).

      That was a heck of an impressive speech. Have one heck of a good time.

    idioms

    1. as heck (used as a mild intensifier).

      I say he's guilty as heck.

    heck 2 American [hek] / hɛk /

    noun

    1. a comblike attachment on a loom, for guiding the warp threads as they are dressed for the warp beam.

    2. a device that guides yarn onto the bobbin of a spinning wheel.

    3. a gridlike arrangement of glass or metal rods below the hooks on a Jacquard loom, used for lifting all harness eyes equally or evenly.

    heck 1 British / hɛk /

    interjection

    1. a mild exclamation of surprise, irritation, etc

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 heck 2 British / hɛk /

    noun

    1. dialect a frame for obstructing the passage of fish in a river

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    Etymology

    Origin of heck1

    First recorded in 1850–55; euphemistic alteration of hell

    Origin of heck2

    1300–50; Middle English hekke, Old English hecc, variant of hæcc hatch 2

    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.

    This will be one heck of a story for her first day of preschool.

    From Literature

    "What the heck is that sticky stuff called?"

    From Literature

    Brentford got one heck of a win last time out at Villa, and their manager Keith Andrews deserves a lot of credit for getting that result despite being down to 10 men for the entire second half.

    From BBC

    Logo link to BBC

    "Heck, he's only a foot and a half taller than me."

    From Literature

    What the heck? he thought, and smiled back.

    From Literature

    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.

    Tag » What Is What The Heck