hell of a

phrase

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

And an entertainer at 15 is a hell of a lot different than an entertainer at 12. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026

Now, here are two guys who know how to build, if not quite an actual Underground Railroad, one hell of a funicular. — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 July 2026

Just a logistical nightmare from top to bottom, but one hell of a piece of memorabilia signed by a UF football program legend. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

In fact, Sergei is going to land one hell of a promotion to Chief Designer. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 July 2026

Rhymes for hell of a

• brava