devil of a

1. Also,; hell of a. Infernally annoying or difficult, as in This is a devil of an assembly job, or She had one devil of a time getting through the traffic, or I had a hell of a morning sitting in that doctor's office. The first expression dates from the mid-1700s. The variant is a couple of decades newer and its precise meaning depends on the context. For example, We had a hell of a time getting here invariably means we had a very difficult or annoying time, but He is one hell of a driver could mean that he is either very good or very bad (see hell of a, def. 2).

Example Sentences

Soon Alexander’s teeth were sunk into Beowulf’s pant leg, and the two were having a devil of a time getting untangled.

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“On the other hand, I have had a devil of a time learning the name of this school. But after Miss Lumley’s speech about poems and ferns, I believe I have it at last.”

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He was having a devil of a time keeping the horses from bolting, what with all the pirates swarming about.

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Adam Devine has had a devil of a time the last few years with doctors trying to figure out why some of his muscles have been going into almost-paralytic spasms.

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Bacon is having a devil of a good time playing him.

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