Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

have a whale of a time

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.98 in modern English

Syllables
have a whale of a -time
IPA
34
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
2
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To enjoy oneself greatly: to have a very good time.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Compare whale (“something or someone excellent”); thus, not just any good time but rather a great time.

Inflected Forms

has a whale of a time (present, singular) having a whale of a time (participle, present) had a whale of a time (participle, past) had a whale of a time (past)

Phrases

field day hell of a time of one's life

Frequently Paired Words

blast field day hell of a time of one's life

Synonyms

have a ball

Questions

What does have a whale of a time mean?
To enjoy oneself greatly: to have a very good time.
Where does have a whale of a time come from?
Compare whale (“something or someone excellent”); thus, not just any good time but rather a great time.

How to pronounce have a whale of a time

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “have a whale of a time”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “have a whale of a time”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “have a whale of a time” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.