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Glite Dictionary
heckuva game

heckuva game

1 8.9
An exciting, impressive match that people talk about
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛkəvə ɡeɪm/
  • Informal
: partidazo
  • Last night's basketball match was a heckuva game and kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

Examples

  • Fans were still talking about the heckuva game they witnessed over the weekend.

  • What a heckuva game!

  • That was a heckuva game, with both teams playing their absolute best.

  • That was a heckuva game last night!

  • Last night's basketball match was a heckuva game that had everyone cheering until the final buzzer.

  • The championship match turned out to be a heckuva game, showcasing incredible talent from both teams.

  • Everyone left the stadium excited after watching such a heckuva game filled with thrilling moments.

Synonyms

heck of a
vsheckuva game
  • Informal
120 8.1

Very impressive or very difficult

is focused on praising an exciting event rather than any noun
helluva
vsheckuva game
  • Informal
24 9.9

An informal way to say something is very impressive or large to show strong feeling

is mainly used to praise an exciting event rather than describe size or intensity

Antonyms

boringness
2 3.8

A state that makes you lose interest

How Exciting

amazingness
2 3.0
heckuva game
  • Informal
1 8.9
great
∞ 1.0
decent
526 2.3

Surface Forms

heckuva game singular
heckuva games plural

Morphology

heckuva + game

Heckuva is a colloquial contraction of 'heck of a' (like 'hell of a') that functions as an intensifier, so combined with 'game' it yields 'a very impressive/exciting game.' The intensifying relation is partially predictable from the parts, but the slangy reduced form and pragmatic positive evaluation require exposure, so it is not fully transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Heckuva game comes from people shortening and making more polite the older phrase 'a hell of a game' into heckuva. Imagine a fan shouting this after an exciting game, so it now means 'an impressive or exciting game'.