Idioms

devil of a time

a devil of a time

A difficult or frustrating time; much difficulty. I'm having a devil of a time getting this window open—I think it has been painted shut. We had a devil of a time convincing Grandpa to go to the doctor for that bad cough. I thought that assignment was easy, so I'm surprised to hear you guys had a devil of a time with it.
See also: devil, of, time

the devil of a time

A great deal of difficulty or frustration. I'm having the devil of a time getting this window open—I think it has been painted shut. It was the devil of a time convincing Grandpa to go to the doctor for that bad cough.
See also: devil, of, time
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

devil of a time

 and the devil's own time
a very difficult time. I had a devil of a time with my taxes. This cold has been giving me a devil of a time. Fixing the car seemed easy, but I had the devil's own time doing it.
See also: devil, of, time
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
See also:
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.