the hell out of

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adverb

the hell out of (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Used as an intensifier.
   • Susan Powter (1993) Stop the Insanity! Eat, Breathe, Move, Change the Way You Look and Feel-Forever: “How about eliminating all the stupid choreography you've got us doing—which doesn't do a damn thing, other than confuse the hell out of most people....”
   • 2004: William Upski Wimsatt Adrienne Brown, How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power

     There were days where we would just pick up our coats, leave one person in the office, and head into an area that was weak and door-knock the hell out of it.

   • Rachel Reiland (2004) Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder: “Am I supposed to be like my mother? Crying all the time, manipulating the hell out of him, out of us?”
   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: UNC: Espionage Probe:

     Now that you're above ground, your suit radio has reestablished connection with the Normandy. Time to get the hell out of here.

Usage notes

Occurs between a verb and its object.

Related terms

• scare the X out of