Meanings
present singular third person has a whale of a time · participle present having a whale of a time · participle past had a whale of a time · past had a whale of a time
- idiomaticTo enjoy oneself greatly: to have a very good time.
We had a whale of a time at the party Saturday night.
Synonyms: have a ball
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo enjoy oneself greatly: to have a very good time.
Origin
Compare whale (“something or someone excellent”); thus, not just any good time but rather a great time.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish pitää hauskaa
- pitää hauskaato enjoy oneself greatly
French s'amuser comme un petit fou, s'éclater
- s'amuser comme un petit fouto enjoy oneself greatly
- s'éclaterto enjoy oneself greatly
Hungarian nagyon/borzasztóan jól érzi magát, remekül/ragyogóan érzi magát
- nagyon/borzasztóan jól érzi magátto enjoy oneself greatly
- remekül/ragyogóan érzi magátto enjoy oneself greatly
- remekül szórakozikto enjoy oneself greatly
Icelandic skemmta sér konunglega
- skemmta sér konunglegato enjoy oneself greatly
Japanese 堪能する, 満喫する
- 堪能する (tannō suru)to enjoy oneself greatly
- 満喫する (mankitsu suru)to enjoy oneself greatly
Polish bardzo dobrze się bawić
- bardzo dobrze się bawićto enjoy oneself greatly
Spanish pasarlo la mar de bien, disfrutar como un enano
- pasarlo la mar de biento enjoy oneself greatly
- disfrutar como un enanoto enjoy oneself greatly
- pasarlo pipato enjoy oneself greatly
Cite this entry
have a whale of a time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20whale%20of%20a%20time
“have a whale of a time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20whale%20of%20a%20time. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have a whale of a time,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20whale%20of%20a%20time.
Source: have a whale of a time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.