the dickens

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The youngster “impressed the dickens out of me,” Eberhart said.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2021

There now are about a dozen post offices, he said, and it feels like “they’re trying like the dickens to shut those down.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2020

“He’s a human being. Little mistakes are made, different words are used – and everybody does it. As far as I can see, he’s trying the dickens to do a good job.”

From The Guardian • May 19, 2017

So why the dickens would he say incorrectly that Nevada’s voters are 80 percent white in a state that’s sparsely polled but when it is polled shows her well into the clear?

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2016

So I went to Suffolk looking for Frances and her mother who could cook like the dickens.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride