English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
adj

helluva

HEH-luh-vuh
adj
1
Informal: remarkable, impressive, or extreme — a slurred form of "a hell of a".
"That was a helluva performance."
"We had a helluva time getting the car started."

How to Use Helluva

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA casual way of saying something is impressively good, bad, or extreme.

When to use it

Very informal; used mainly in speech and casual writing.

Common pairings
a helluva job a helluva lot a helluva time
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “helluva” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

That was a _____ performance.

Etymology

A written spelling of the relaxed pronunciation of "hell of a".

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial