holy terror
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An exasperating individual, as in He was only five, but he was a holy terror, running wild through the house and throwing whatever he could lay his hands on. The adjective holy here is an intensifier. [Late 1800s]
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Words nearby holy terror
Holy Sepulchre, holy smoke, Holy Spirit, holystone, holy synod, holy terror, holy thistle, Holy Thursday, holytide, Holy Trinity, holy war
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
How to use holy terror in a sentence
In an excerpt from the new edition of his superb account of the artist Holy Terror, Bob Colacello considers his legacy and fame.
The retiring toughs have dubbed it “Holy Terror Park” in memory of what it was, not of what it is.
The Children of the Poor|Jacob A. Riis