helluva

American

[hel-uh-vuh] / ˈhɛl ə və /

adjective

Informal.

hell of a (used as an intensifier).

We had a helluva time getting through the heavy traffic.
She's a helluva good player!

helluva British

/ ˈhɛləvə /

adverb

(intensifier)

a helluva difficult job
he's a helluva guy
(intensifier)

it's helluva tough out here

"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 helluva

First recorded in 1915–20; a phonetic spelling representation of hell of a in continuous rapid speech

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.

Kathy Griffin chimed in, replying to Fox: “You’re a helluva ghost.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

“You make a helluva lot more money with a weaker dollar,” the president said in July.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

It's going to be one helluva journey, no matter the mode of transport, so we need something to tune into and something to be sick of hearing before we've even departed these shores.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

I’d had a helluva lotta fun across Henderson that day, even though I’d never been there before, much less attended a UFC viewing party in the heart of it all.

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2024

I had a helluva time even finding a cab.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023