hell of a
idiom
informal + somewhat impolite
1
—used to make a statement more forceful
It was one hell of a good fight.
He is one hell of a nice guy.
2
: very good
She's a hell of a player.
3
: very bad or difficult
We've been having a hell of a time trying to finish on schedule.
This is a hell of a mess we're in.
Examples of hell of a in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Photographed by Ace Amir Just over two months into 2025, and it’s already been a hell of a year for New Orleans.
—
Harriet Shepherd, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
That's a hell of a Ponzi scheme when for the last 80 years, Social Security has paid out every nickel owed to every eligible American.
—NBC News, 2 Mar. 2025
The movie was a hell of a dark trip, but Pattinson, among the most consistently adventurous actors of his generation, kept you tethered to the story with an almost gravitational force.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Poaching Smith from the Chiefs would be a hell of a coup.
—Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell of a
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Harriet Shepherd, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
That's a hell of a Ponzi scheme when for the last 80 years, Social Security has paid out every nickel owed to every eligible American.
—NBC News, 2 Mar. 2025
The movie was a hell of a dark trip, but Pattinson, among the most consistently adventurous actors of his generation, kept you tethered to the story with an almost gravitational force.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Poaching Smith from the Chiefs would be a hell of a coup.
—Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell of a
Cite this Entry
“Hell of a.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hell%20of%20a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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