holy terror

Idioms and Phrases

An exasperating individual, as in He was only five, but he was a holy terror, running wild through the house and throwing whatever he could lay his hands on . The adjective holy here is an intensifier. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

He was a ruthless criminal—a holy terror, not a gentleman—and his name alone paralyzed the police.

From Literature

A former Olympic hammer thrower, the Crunchem Hall headmistress is described as “a gigantic holy terror, a fierce tyrannical monster who frightened the life out of the pupils and teachers alike.”

From Los Angeles Times

In the wind, it can be a holy terror.

From Seattle Times

"She was a demon. As soon as my father was out of the way she became a holy terror. My life was a nightmare."

From Literature

Kayla’s holy terror, in “Bombshell,” as Ailes stakes his sweaty claim, may be devastating, but the violation of Eurídice is worse, not least because, though a nightmare, it isn’t yet a crime.

From The New Yorker