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Glite Dictionary
to have a gas

to have a gas

8.9
Enjoy yourself a lot
  • idiom
  • Slang
translation icon : divertirse
  • Even though it rained, we managed to have a gas during our picnic, enjoying each other's company.

Examples

  • I'm having a gas.

    Murder Party (2007)

  • We really had a gas at the party last night, dancing and laughing with friends.

  • Want to have a gas online?

    Naqoyqatsi (2002)

  • The kids had a gas playing games at the fair; they didn't want to leave.

Synonyms

to have a good time
vsto have a gas
504 1.4

To enjoy yourself at an event or activity

is more intense and exciting than this milder pleasure
to have a blast
vsto have a gas
  • Informal
41 5.2

To enjoy yourself a lot

is very enjoyable but less intensely exciting
to have a ball
vsto have a gas
  • Informal
31 6.5

Enjoy yourself a lot

is similar but focuses more on general strong enjoyment

Antonyms

miserable
443 1.8

Feeling very unhappy or suffering a lot

bad time of it
1 6.1

A time when someone has trouble

How Fun

to have a blast
  • Informal
41 5.2
to have a gas
  • Slang
8.9
to enjoy
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

have a gas infinitive
had a gas past
had a gas past participle
having a gas present participle
has a gas third person singular

Morphology

have + a + gas

A B1 learner who knows 'have' (to experience), 'a' (article) and 'gas' (a gaseous substance) would not predict the slang meaning 'a very enjoyable time' from those literal parts; the sense of 'a gas' = 'a lot of fun' is idiomatic and informal. This meaning is language-specific slang rather than a transparent compositional extension, so it would be unpredictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom have a gas may come from people using laughing gas at parties. Because the gas made people laugh and enjoy themselves, to have a gas came to mean 'to have a very enjoyable and fun time'.