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3. a hell of a

a hell of a

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a hell of a someone or something

 and a helluva someone or something 

1. Inf. a very bad person or thing. (Use caution with hell.) That's a hell of a way to treat someone. He's a hell of a driver! Watch out! 2. Inf. a very good person or thing. (Use caution with hell.) He is one hell of a guy. We really like him. We had a helluva good time.

See also: hell, of

a hell of a somebody/something

also one hell of a somebody/something

a surprisingly good person or thing a heck of a somebody/something That was a hell of a show - great acting, amazing special effects, and a terrific ending. He's one hell of a guy.

Usage notes: sometimes written as helluva: We're going to have a helluva football team this year!

See also: hell, of

a hell of a something

also one hell of a something

a very difficult activity or bad thing a heck of a something We had a hell of a time getting home last night. Isn't this a hell of a mess?

See also: hell, of