heck

[ hek ]

/ hɛk /

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interjection

(used as a mild expression of annoyance, rejection, disgust, etc.): What the heck do you care?

noun

something remarkable of its kind (usually used in the phrase heck of a): That was a heck of an impressive speech. Have one heck of a good time.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about heck

as heck (used as a mild intensifier): I say he's guilty as heck.

Origin of heck

First recorded in 1850–55; euphemistic alteration of hell

Words nearby heck

Hecate, Hecate Strait, hecatomb, hechsher, Hecht, heck, heckelphone, heckle, heckler, heckuva, hect-

Other definitions for heck (2 of 2)

heck²

[ hek ]

/ hɛk /

noun

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

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

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

Origin of heck

1300–50; Middle English hekke,Old English hecc, variant of hæcchatch²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use heck in a sentence

She made sure her husband was networking the heck out of the event.
Not all presidents’ dance skills are created equal|Bonnie Berkowitz, Joanne Lee|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
It’s only in the third episode that fans will begin to get a sense of what the heck is going on.
Wandavision Offers Hope That Originality Can Survive the Era of the Ever-Expanding Franchise|Eliana Dockterman|January 16, 2021|Time
When I started to imagine what would happen with legalized Internet gaming, it scared the heck out of me .
Sheldon Adelson, casino magnate who influenced policy from D.C. to Jerusalem, dies at 87|Donald Frazier|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
The thing that we have to do is focus on really what is important, and that is we have a heck of a matchup against Pittsburgh coming up.
How a retired Army Ranger helped Ron Rivera separate the interesting from the important|Sam Fortier|January 7, 2021|Washington Post

For anybody we don’t know it’s going to be ehh-ehh-ehh get the heck out.
Podcast: When your face is your ticket|Tate Ryan-Mosley|December 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
They just reflect the range of breeds that were used to create the Heck cattle in the first instance.
‘Nazi Cows’ Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Washington is a heck of a lot better as a result, and will be for years to come.
The Valerie Jarrett I Know: How She Saved the Obama Campaign and Why She’s Indispensable|Joshua DuBois|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A mixtape dubbed “Montage of Heck” has surfaced on the site Live Nirvana!
Kurt Cobain’s Moody 1988 Mixtape: A Wormhole into the Strange Mind of a Rock Legend|Marlow Stern|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After what one cop called “a heck of a fuss,” they finally managed to print her.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger|Michael Daly|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Heck, research shows that a little bit of Viagra will even help cut flowers stand up straighter for as long as a week.
Why There Will Never Be a Female Viagra|Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By heck—time a farmer was pulling on his overalls and going forth to his dew-gemmed toil!
Children of the Whirlwind|Leroy Scott
The ends of the threads from these bobbins are drawn through the eyes of two leaves of the "heck," and all the ends tied together.
The Jute Industry: From Seed to Finished Cloth|T. Woodhouse and P. Kilgour
He was the father-in-law of Peter Heck, a former postmaster of Uniontown.
The Old Pike|Thomas B. Searight
To live at "heck and manger" is to fare sumptuously every day, even beyond our income.
The Proverbs of Scotland|Alexander Hislop
Yu don't want to worry none about me—an' if yu don't get yore hands closter to yore neck they'll be heck to pay!
Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-Up|Clarence Edward Mulford

British Dictionary definitions for heck (1 of 2)

heck¹

/ (hɛk) /

interjection

a mild exclamation of surprise, irritation, etc

Word Origin for heck

C19: euphemistic for hell

British Dictionary definitions for heck (2 of 2)

heck²

/ (hɛk) /

noun

Northern English dialect a frame for obstructing the passage of fish in a river

Word Origin for heck

C14: variant of hatch ²

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