Standard Lemma guide

hell-for-leather

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adv

Meaning 1

As fast as possible; recklessly fast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • He rode hell-for-leather to catch up with the stagecoach.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

at breakneck speed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they were travelling hell-for-leather

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

An early reference is from 1888 in "The Gadsbys" by Rudyard Kipling, referring to the effect on the leather of a saddle (or perhaps a crop) of riding a horse as fast as possible.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: mint a szélvész — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Hungarian: szélvészként — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Hungarian: szélvészgyorsan — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Hungarian: lóhalálában — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Hungarian: mint a villám — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Hungarian: észvesztő/eszeveszett sebességgel — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fort som faen — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Polish: na złamanie karku — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Russian: сломя́ го́лову (slomjá gólovu) — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Russian: стремгла́в (stremgláv) — as fast as possible; recklessly fast
  • Spanish: a matacaballo — as fast as possible; recklessly fast