hella

The farmers from Northern California who settled here a long time ago (probably before the 1950's) were patient and slow people and took everything with ease. When they communicated to explain "VERY" they would say "hell of a" instead of "very" or "a lot". Then the city folks who migrated in later to the Bay Area took the Northern California farmers saying and shortened it to "Hella" instead of "Hell of a."
So in the end the word "hella" comes from the Bay Area city folks. Short and sweet.

She/he was hella sweet.
It was hella cool.
The ride was hella fresh.

by Bay area gurl January 28, 2009

Hella

A multi-purpose word invented by people in north california, indigenous to the Bay Area.

Adjective: To describe a lot of something or something good.

Noun: A lot of

Adverb: Suplemental, inferrs a great quantity or that you're doing something and DOING IT RIGHT!

Interjection: An affirmation of what someone just said

Adjective: This party is hella chill.

Noun: I have hella.

Adverb: The Bay areais fuckin hella better than socal

Interjection: Nicole: Dude that shit was off tha hook
Jaime: hella!

by Jaime Portocarrero January 06, 2004

hellaness

A word created by a student named Linden Rakestraw, age 13. The word hellaness is used to describe something.

Friend of Lindens: "I got two colors of clout goggles, which pair do you want?"

Linden: "Let's just share them because they're both hellaness."

by soundclout rapper January 17, 2018

hella

very, totally; lots of

N.B. Generally used in Northern California.

1. That party was hella sketch. What with all those skanky-ass girls.
2. There was HELLA weed tho!

by NorCAL all the way March 01, 2003

Hella

hella is to nor*cal what wicked is to boston

That concert was hella tight,

by latida May 04, 2004

Hella-

A scientific prefix for 10^27.

Hella-: 2.17 Hellavolts = 2.17 x 10^27 volts

by blanknalb March 04, 2010

hella

"Hella" is an all-purpose word. It has its roots deep in the soul (I meant to type soil, but soul works here too, haha) of Northern California. It means something along the lines of "very" or "really," but it's much more than that. It's not just a word, but a statement of cultural identification, of a long-standing bond of trust and respect for fellow Northern Californians, and of a mutual understanding between you and the rest of the world that you are from (or, in the case of anyone who has lived with kids from NorCal, that you are an honorary resident) NorCal. As the subtle innuendoes of the word can only be understood by absorption, one must experience and be engulfed by it (as Northern Californians are from birth) to truly understand when its usage is appropriate. Hella is a word. It's a symbol. It's a way of life. Hella.

Correct:

This is hella whack.
I just ate hella brownies.
I'm hella going to the library this weekend.

Incorrect:
I'm going hella to the library

by NorCal, May 22, 2008