Heck

Slang Term AmericanBritish ★★★★★ Very Common Casual
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Meaning: Euphemism for 'hell'; mild exclamation.

'hell'的委婉语;轻微感叹词。
Eufemismo de 'hell'; exclamación suave.
「hell」の婉曲語;軽い感嘆詞。
'hell'의 완곡 표현; 가벼운 감탄사.

'Heck' replaces 'hell' in exclamations—'What the heck?' and 'heck of a' are common. Completely mild and acceptable everywhere.

'Heck'在感叹中替代'hell'——'What the heck?'和'heck of a'很常见。完全温和,到处都可接受。
'Heck' reemplaza a 'hell' en exclamaciones—'What the heck?' y 'heck of a' son comunes. Completamente suave y aceptable en todas partes.
「Heck」は感嘆で「hell」の代わりに使います。「What the heck?」や「heck of a」が一般的。完全に軽く、どこでも許容されます。
'헥(Heck)'은 감탄사에서 'hell'을 대신한다. 'What the heck?'과 'heck of a'가 일반적인 표현이다. 전혀 거칠지 않으며 어디서든 사용할 수 있다.

Examples

  1. What the heck?
    这是怎么回事?
    ¿Qué demonios?
    なんだこりゃ?
    도대체 뭐야?
  2. Heck of a game!
    好一场比赛!
    ¡Vaya partidazo!
    すごい試合だった!
    엄청난 경기였어!
  3. Oh heck.
    哎呀
    Ay, vaya
    おやまあ
    이런.

Pronunciation

/hek/

Usage Guide

Context: exclamation, family-friendly

Tone: surprised, mild

✓ Do Say

  • Heck
    天呐
    Caramba
    おやまあ
  • What the heck
    搞什么
    ¿Qué narices?
    いったい何なんだ
    왓 더 헥
  • Heck of a
    超级厉害的
    Menudo/a
    すごい〇〇
    헥 오브 어

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

Euphemism for 'hell'—possibly from Northern English dialect or simply an altered pronunciation to avoid blasphemy. Completely inoffensive.

Etymology: Euphemism for hell, dialect origin

First recorded: 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Family media

Regional notes: English-language universal.

Variations

HeckWhat the heckHeck of a

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