Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

hell to pay

Idioms  

  1. Great trouble, as in If we're wrong there'll be hell to pay. [c. 1800]

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.

He did not identify the Kremlin faction but said that it continued its attempts to sow discord, it would have "hell to pay".

From Reuters • Jun. 3, 2023

“There’s going to be hell to pay for this.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2022

Otherwise there’s going to be hell to pay.

From Slate • Apr. 14, 2021

“It means somebody didn’t do their job. There’s going to be hell to pay for that.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2018

I know this is a risky maneuver—the minute they realize I’m gone, there will be hell to pay.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

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.