hell-for-leather

1 of 2

adverb

hell-for-leath·er ˈhel-fər-ˈle-ṯẖər

Synonyms of hell-for-leather next

: in a hell-for-leather manner : at full speed

rode hell-for-leather down the trail

hell-for-leather

2 of 2

adjective

: marked by determined recklessness, great speed, or lack of restraint

a cocky, hell-for-leather fighting man—

H. H. Martin

Examples of hell-for-leather in a Sentence

Adverb we ran hell-for-leather out of that spooky house Adjective having been behind for most of the race, the stock car driver made a hell-for-leather dash to the finish

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1889, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of hell-for-leather was in 1889

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hell-for-leather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hell-for-leather. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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