hellion

American  

[hel-yuhn] / ˈhɛl yən /

noun

Informal.

1. a disorderly, troublesome, rowdy, or mischievous person.

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hellion British  

/ ˈhɛljən /

noun

1. Also called: heller.  informal a rough or rowdy person, esp a child; troublemaker

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Etymology

Origin of hellion

1835–45, hell + -ion, as in scullion, rapscallion

Explanation

A hellion is someone who makes mischief or gets into trouble. You might refer to the kids you babysit as a bunch of hellions if they regularly refuse to go to bed, instead staging massive pillow fights. Hellion almost always describes a young person, often a child, who raises a ruckus or makes trouble in some rowdy way. The little boy next door might have most people fooled into thinking he's an angel, but you'll know he's a hellion when you spot him jumping off the roof into a pile of snow or putting firecrackers in your mailbox. Hellion is an American word, inspired by the Scottish hallion, or "scamp."

Example Sentences

Nimona is a shape-shifter, a monster, a misunderstood hellion with a heart of gold.

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2023

A little hellion, according to her own description, she was not adopted even after her picture and profile were featured as a child needing a forever home in The Seattle Times.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 27, 2021

My younger kid, Dan, was a bit of a hellion, who, classically, Resisted Authority.

From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2021

Among others, Kun encounters his great-grandfather as a motorcycle-riding young rebel, his own mother as a youthful hellion, and, most perplexing of all, his own sister Marai as an engaging “Marai from the future” teenager.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2018

No doubt she was scolding my little hellion.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez