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
Blade of Dream retold the events of the first book through what readers might have written off as secondary characters, maintaining the dramatic irony throughout and building to a hell of a cliffhanger.
—
Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
In the last five years, pop-punk and emo music has experienced one hell of a resurgence that has been celebrated, critiqued, and monopolized extensively.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
That'll do a hell of a lot for them.
—ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
Leavitt’s had a hell of a year.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hell of a
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Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
In the last five years, pop-punk and emo music has experienced one hell of a resurgence that has been celebrated, critiqued, and monopolized extensively.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
That'll do a hell of a lot for them.
—ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
Leavitt’s had a hell of a year.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 Dec. 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 12 Jan. 2026.
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