devil of a

Idioms  

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).

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Example Sentences

“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.”

From Literature

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

From Literature

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

From Literature

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times