hell of a

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛləvə/

Adjective

hell of a (not comparable)

1. (colloquial or vulgar) Intensifier; indicates that someone or something is especially good, bad, difficult, etc.

   Well done! That's a hell of an achievement!

   She had a hell of a time trying to open the jar. In the end she gave up.

   Where were you? / I got lost in the woods. / Wow! Hell of a place to get lost!

   • 2007, “One Hell of a Party”, in Pocket Symphony, performed by Air ft. Jarvis Cocker:

     Yeah, this was one hell of a party / Nobody ever got to bed / But the morning after's killing me / And I have to rest my head

Derived terms

• heck of a (euphemism)
• hella
• helluva (contraction)

Translations

intensifier: especially (good, bad, difficult etc.)

• French: d’enfer (fr), sacré (fr) m
• Hebrew: חֲתִיכַת (ḥatichát)
• Hungarian: nem semmi (literally “not nothing”)

See also

• big old