‘Hella’ is another way to say ‘Very’
Hella is a slang word that’s basically a supercharged version of “very.” It’s a term that gives a whole lot of emphasis to whatever you’re talking about. If you think something is hella awesome, you’re saying it’s really, really awesome.
The birthplace of hella is the Bay Area around San Francisco, and it’s believed to have emerged in the 1970s. The origin of the term could be a shortened version of the phrases “hell of a” or “as hell”. It’s likely that hella first popped up as part of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) before it caught on and spread throughout California, the rest of the U.S., and even globally.
Typically, hella is used as a substitute for very, so you might hear someone say, “I’m hella tired” instead of “I’m very tired.” But that’s not the only way to use it. Hella is a versatile word that can be used in place of other words too, making it a handy slang term to know.
Example for using ‘Hella’ in a conversation
Hey, did you watch the new Marvel movie?
Yeah, it was hella good! The action scenes were 🔥
Totally! I was hella impressed with the special effects as well. 🎥
Right? It was hella intense. Marvel always delivers!
Related Slang Words You Might Be Interested In
| Slang | Meaning |
|---|---|
| TTL | Time to leave |
| AAK | Alive and kicking |
| Goblincore | A style that appreciates not-so-obvious parts of nature |
| DISTOL | Did I say that out loud? |
| Chonk | A pet that's got some extra weight |