A mischievous, wild, or troublemaking person, especially a naughty child who causes problems and seems impossible to control.
The origin is uncertain but possibly from 'hell' combined with a suffix, or from a Yiddish or Eastern European source. It appeared in American English by the 1800s meaning a wild or reckless person.
The word 'hellion' captured something distinctly American—the boisterous, rule-breaking spirit of frontier and urban childhood that parents couldn't quite manage but often secretly admired.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.