"hella" meaning in English

See hella in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

IPA: /ˈhɛl.ə/ [US] Audio: En-au-hella.ogg [Australia]
Rhymes: -ɛlə Etymology: Related to "a hell of a". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva. Etymology templates: {{m|en|helluv}} helluv, {{m|en|helluva}} helluva Head templates: {{en-adv|-}} hella (not comparable)
  1. (slang, chiefly Northern California) Intensifier, modifying verbs; to a large extent; totally; very much. Tags: Northern-California, not-comparable, slang
    Sense id: en-hella-en-adv-MSmRFcRy Categories (other): English determiners, English entries with language name categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English determiners: 15 36 12 34 3 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 14 35 3 11 33 4
  2. (slang, potentially considered vulgar, chiefly regional US, African-American Vernacular and Internet slang) Intensifier, modifying adjectives; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly. Tags: US, not-comparable, regional, slang Synonyms (extremely, modifies adjectives): wicked [Northeastern, US, especially]
    Sense id: en-hella-en-adv-DqifW0w1 Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, American English, Regional English, English determiners, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English intensifiers, English pronouns, Old Norse entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English determiners: 15 36 12 34 3 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 14 35 3 11 33 4 Disambiguation of English intensifiers: 24 34 1 23 17 1 Disambiguation of English pronouns: 15 33 13 25 15 Disambiguation of Old Norse entries with incorrect language header: 7 21 3 7 16 0 3 1 22 1 1 5 6 2 3 1 Disambiguation of 'extremely, modifies adjectives': 20 80
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Contraction

Etymology: Shortened form, or elision, of phrases like "hell have", approximating casual speech in writing. Head templates: {{head|en|contraction|head=}} hella, {{en-cont}} hella
  1. (nonstandard) Contraction of Hell have. Tags: abbreviation, alt-of, contraction, nonstandard Alternative form of: Hell have
    Sense id: en-hella-en-contraction-IS60scIl
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Determiner

IPA: /ˈhɛl.ə/ [US] Audio: En-au-hella.ogg [Australia]
Rhymes: -ɛlə Etymology: Related to "a hell of a". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva. Etymology templates: {{m|en|helluv}} helluv, {{m|en|helluva}} helluva Head templates: {{head|en|determiner|head=}} hella, {{en-det}} hella
  1. (slang, chiefly Northern California) Intensifier, signifies an abundance of a thing; much or many. Tags: Northern-California, slang Synonyms (much or many): bare [emphatic, intensifier], mad [emphatic, intensifier]
    Sense id: en-hella-en-det-W0Ioz4ys Categories (other): California English, English determiners, English entries with language name categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English determiners: 15 36 12 34 3 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 14 35 3 11 33 4
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Interjection

IPA: /ˈhɛl.ə/ [US] Audio: En-au-hella.ogg [Australia]
Rhymes: -ɛlə Etymology: Related to "a hell of a". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva. Etymology templates: {{m|en|helluv}} helluv, {{m|en|helluva}} helluva Head templates: {{en-interj}} hella
  1. (slang, chiefly Northern California) For sure; totally; hell yeah; used as a strong affirmation of something that was just said, accomplished, or revealed. Tags: Northern-California, slang Related terms: hecka [euphemistic], helluv, helluva
    Sense id: en-hella-en-intj-5ULen~47 Categories (other): English determiners, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, Old Norse entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English determiners: 15 36 12 34 3 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 15 27 1 13 42 1 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 14 35 3 11 33 4 Disambiguation of Old Norse entries with incorrect language header: 7 21 3 7 16 0 3 1 22 1 1 5 6 2 3 1
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Pronoun

IPA: /ˈhɛl.ə/ [US] Audio: En-au-hella.ogg [Australia]
Rhymes: -ɛlə Etymology: Related to "a hell of a". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva. Etymology templates: {{m|en|helluv}} helluv, {{m|en|helluva}} helluva Head templates: {{head|en|pronoun|||||||||||||||||||head=}} hella, {{en-pronoun}} hella
  1. (slang, chiefly Northern California) A lot; very much. Tags: Northern-California, slang
    Sense id: en-hella-en-pron-HaJEz3Tv
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Download JSON data for hella meaning in English (11.4kB)

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          "text": "There are hella people here.",
          "type": "example"
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          "ref": "2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Chloe Price (Ashly Burch), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment",
          "text": "Now, let’s talk bidness.\nI got nothing for you.\nWrong. You got hella cash.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "2023 August 20, Kelefa Sanneh, quoting Fatimah Nyeema Warner, “Noname’s Ambivalent, Triumphant Comeback”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN",
          "text": "(“We practiced it hella times, but it’s new, and I can’t really get it on top of the music yet,” she explained.)",
          "type": "quotation"
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        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) Intensifier, signifies an abundance of a thing; much or many."
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          "word": "bare"
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          "sense": "much or many",
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          "text": "We paid hella for that Chinese cuisine."
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        "A lot; very much."
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        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) A lot; very much."
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          "text": "I can't tell you how much I hella love the new track.",
          "type": "example"
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          "text": "Jane was driving away, and the door was open, so I hella ran for it.",
          "type": "example"
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        {
          "text": "Oh, today's Cyrell's bday. We hella sang her happy birthday at the spot.",
          "type": "example"
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        {
          "ref": "2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Chloe Price (Hannah Telle as Max Caulfield and Ashly Burch), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment",
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        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) Intensifier, modifying verbs; to a large extent; totally; very much."
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        {
          "text": "I guess she seems hella stoned in her commercial.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I've been a Star Wars fan since I was hella young.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Taylor Swift (lyrics and music), “Shake It Off”",
          "text": "\"And to the fella over there / With the hella good hair / Won't you come on over, baby / We can shake, shake, shake\"",
          "type": "quotation"
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          "ref": "2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Chloe Price (Ashly Burch), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment",
          "text": "The storm got hella crazy and... and you said we would be safe at the lighthouse.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        "Intensifier, modifying adjectives; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly."
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        "(slang, potentially considered vulgar, chiefly regional US, African-American Vernacular and Internet slang) Intensifier, modifying adjectives; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly."
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          "_dis1": "20 80",
          "sense": "extremely, modifies adjectives",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "wicked"
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        "(nonstandard) Contraction of Hell have."
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "determiner",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "en-det"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "det",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "California English",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "There are hella people here.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Chloe Price (Ashly Burch), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment",
          "text": "Now, let’s talk bidness.\nI got nothing for you.\nWrong. You got hella cash.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 20, Kelefa Sanneh, quoting Fatimah Nyeema Warner, “Noname’s Ambivalent, Triumphant Comeback”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN",
          "text": "(“We practiced it hella times, but it’s new, and I can’t really get it on top of the music yet,” she explained.)",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Intensifier, signifies an abundance of a thing; much or many."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "much",
          "much"
        ],
        [
          "many",
          "many"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) Intensifier, signifies an abundance of a thing; much or many."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-California",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhɛl.ə/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlə"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-hella.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg/En-au-hella.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "much or many",
      "tags": [
        "emphatic",
        "intensifier"
      ],
      "word": "bare"
    },
    {
      "sense": "much or many",
      "tags": [
        "emphatic",
        "intensifier"
      ],
      "word": "mad"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hella"
  ],
  "word": "hella"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adverbs",
    "English contractions",
    "English degree adverbs",
    "English determiners",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English intensifiers",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English pronouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "Old Norse entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old Norse non-lemma forms",
    "Old Norse noun forms",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlə",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlə/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "helluv"
      },
      "expansion": "helluv",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "helluva"
      },
      "expansion": "helluva",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Related to \"a hell of a\". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "10": "",
        "11": "",
        "12": "",
        "13": "",
        "14": "",
        "15": "",
        "16": "",
        "17": "",
        "18": "",
        "19": "",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "20": "",
        "3": "",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "6": "",
        "7": "",
        "8": "",
        "9": "",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "en-pronoun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "pron",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We paid hella for that Chinese cuisine."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A lot; very much."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "A lot",
          "a lot"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) A lot; very much."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-California",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhɛl.ə/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlə"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-hella.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg/En-au-hella.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hella"
  ],
  "word": "hella"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adverbs",
    "English contractions",
    "English degree adverbs",
    "English determiners",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English intensifiers",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English pronouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "Old Norse entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old Norse non-lemma forms",
    "Old Norse noun forms",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlə",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlə/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "helluv"
      },
      "expansion": "helluv",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "helluva"
      },
      "expansion": "helluva",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Related to \"a hell of a\". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "hella (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I can't tell you how much I hella love the new track.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Jane was driving away, and the door was open, so I hella ran for it.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Oh, today's Cyrell's bday. We hella sang her happy birthday at the spot.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Chloe Price (Hannah Telle as Max Caulfield and Ashly Burch), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment",
          "text": "You’re right. We hella deserve it. Splish splash!\nDid you actually just say \"hella\"? I think I’m a good bad influence on you.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Intensifier, modifying verbs; to a large extent; totally; very much."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "totally",
          "totally"
        ],
        [
          "very much",
          "very much"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) Intensifier, modifying verbs; to a large extent; totally; very much."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-California",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "American English",
        "English internet slang",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English vulgarities",
        "Regional English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I guess she seems hella stoned in her commercial.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I've been a Star Wars fan since I was hella young.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Taylor Swift (lyrics and music), “Shake It Off”",
          "text": "\"And to the fella over there / With the hella good hair / Won't you come on over, baby / We can shake, shake, shake\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Life Is Strange, spoken by Chloe Price (Ashly Burch), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment",
          "text": "The storm got hella crazy and... and you said we would be safe at the lighthouse.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Intensifier, modifying adjectives; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "regional",
          "regional#English"
        ],
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "slang",
          "slang"
        ],
        [
          "extremely",
          "extremely"
        ],
        [
          "exceedingly",
          "exceedingly"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "potentially considered vulgar; African-American Vernacular and Internet slang; potentially considered vulgar; African-American Vernacular and Internet slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, potentially considered vulgar, chiefly regional US, African-American Vernacular and Internet slang) Intensifier, modifying adjectives; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "not-comparable",
        "regional",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhɛl.ə/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlə"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-hella.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg/En-au-hella.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "extremely, modifies adjectives",
      "tags": [
        "Northeastern",
        "US",
        "especially"
      ],
      "word": "wicked"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hella"
  ],
  "word": "hella"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adverbs",
    "English contractions",
    "English degree adverbs",
    "English determiners",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English intensifiers",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English pronouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "Old Norse entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old Norse non-lemma forms",
    "Old Norse noun forms",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlə",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlə/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "helluv"
      },
      "expansion": "helluv",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "helluva"
      },
      "expansion": "helluva",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Related to \"a hell of a\". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "en-interj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "related": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ],
      "word": "hecka"
    },
    {
      "word": "helluv"
    },
    {
      "word": "helluva"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "\"We definitely rocked that shit man!\"\n\"Hella!\""
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "For sure; totally; hell yeah; used as a strong affirmation of something that was just said, accomplished, or revealed."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "For sure",
          "for sure"
        ],
        [
          "totally",
          "totally"
        ],
        [
          "hell yeah",
          "hell yeah"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, chiefly Northern California) For sure; totally; hell yeah; used as a strong affirmation of something that was just said, accomplished, or revealed."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-California",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhɛl.ə/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlə"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-hella.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg/En-au-hella.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/En-au-hella.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hella"
  ],
  "word": "hella"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English contractions",
    "English degree adverbs",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English intensifiers",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "Old Norse entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old Norse non-lemma forms",
    "Old Norse noun forms"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "Shortened form, or elision, of phrases like \"hell have\", approximating casual speech in writing.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "contraction",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hella",
      "name": "en-cont"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "contraction",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "Hell have"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English contractions",
        "English nonstandard terms"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Where the hella you been?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of Hell have."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Hell",
          "Hell#English"
        ],
        [
          "have",
          "have#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nonstandard) Contraction of Hell have."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "contraction",
        "nonstandard"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hella"
  ],
  "word": "hella"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.