the dickens
idiom
informal + old-fashioned
—used to make a statement or question more forceful
What the dickens do you mean?
We'll have to work like the dickens to finish this project.
(US) It scared/frightened the dickens out of people.
(US) She's as cute as the dickens.
Examples of the dickens in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Published May 13, 1997 A towering tornado ripped its way through the middle of Miami, Biscayne Bay and Miami Beach right after lunch Monday, smashing cars and windows, tossing trees skyward and scaring the dickens out of thousands of people who were transfixed by the uncanny sight.
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Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 10 May 2025
Where to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas: Disney+ 15 of 15
A Christmas Carol
The OG ghost story that started it all scared the dickens out of people when Charles Dickens released it in 1843.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023
The OG ghost story that started it all scared the dickens out of people when Charles Dickens released it in 1843.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023
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Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 10 May 2025
Where to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas: Disney+ 15 of 15
A Christmas Carol
The OG ghost story that started it all scared the dickens out of people when Charles Dickens released it in 1843.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023
The OG ghost story that started it all scared the dickens out of people when Charles Dickens released it in 1843.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“The dickens.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20dickens. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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