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

"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.