hell of a
Idioms-
Also, one hell of a
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See devil of a .
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This phrase is used as an intensive to emphasize certain qualities about the noun it modifies. By itself the idiom is ambiguous, for its exact meaning depends on the context. For example, He is a hell of a driver can mean either that he is very skillful or that he is a terrible driver. Similarly, We had one hell of a time can mean either that we enjoyed ourselves greatly or that we had an awful or difficult time. [Second half of 1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For something even more dramatic, La Tienda’s double-frenched racks of lamb make a hell of a centerpiece.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
He switched to English to deliver the immortal line: “Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me…your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Norwegian newspaper VG Sporten asked if Mark Sampson's team were "ready for a hell of a beating" in Ottawa.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
“That is a hell of a team over there, in terms of offensive ammo,” Nakase said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
“If Four wasn’t so plagued with self-doubt, he would be one hell of a leader, I think. I’ve always thought that.”
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
