hellion means cursed, ill-fated. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
hellion is pronounced /ˈhɛliən/.
Why “hellion” is a great word
An unruly, rowdy, or mischievous person, especially a child. It is an alteration, under the influence of ‘hell’, of the northern English and Scottish dialectal term ‘hallion’ (meaning “scamp, worthless fellow”), of unknown origin; first attested in American English around 1811. Unlike “rascal,” which suggests playful roguishness, or “delinquent,” which implies a formal breach of law, “hellion” evokes a specific, chaotic domestic turbulence. It is the tenth slam of a screen door, the defiant chalk-scrawl on a clean wall, the precise shriek that shatters the afternoon quiet—a small, contained force of nature dedicated to the joyful unraveling of order.
Etymology
An alteration, under the influence of hell, of northern English/Scottish dialectal hallion (“scamp, worthless fellow”), of unknown origin.
noun
- An unruly, rowdy or mischievous person, especially a child.
- An evil person.
- The larva of the dobsonfly.