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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Props to our defense, played a hell of a game. Kyle Hightower, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026 Props to our defense, played a hell of a game. Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026 Sinners has had a hell of a year. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026 Whoever the club targets as their next permanent boss has one hell of a job to return them to their former glory. Peter South, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hell of a

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hell of a.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hell%20of%20a. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!