[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/heck/)

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# heck

exclamation (heck!); noun (heck: «what the heck», «a heck of a»)

«heck» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (mild) an exclamation of annoyance or surprise, a soft stand-in for «hell». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#m1)
2. used for emphasis: «a heck of a lot» = very much. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#m2)
3. «what the heck» = why not, I don't care. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#m3)

### In the lessons

A gentle, family-friendly replacement for «hell», common among children, teachers and parents; everyday, all regions, especially US and UK.

### Examples

- Oh heck, I've spilled my juice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x1)
- What the heck is that noise? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x2)
- That's a heck of a lot of homework. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x3)
- Heck, why not? Let's go. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x4)
- "Flipping heck!" said the teacher when the fire alarm went off. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x5)
- It's a heck of a long way to walk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x6)
- Heck, I forgot my lunch again. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x7)
- What the heck, I'll have another slice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/#x8)

### Note

Trap: mild and usually acceptable, but still a stand-in for «hell». «A heck of a» means very big or very much. Plain meaning: «oh no!», «very».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «heck» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heck/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«heck» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/heck.html) on Mova free.