bedevil

[ bih-dev-uh l ]
/ bɪˈdɛv əl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bedevil ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), be·dev·iled, be·dev·il·ing or (especially British) be·dev·illed, be·dev·il·ling.

to torment or harass maliciously or diabolically, as with doubts, distractions, or worries.
to possess, as with a devil; bewitch.
to cause confusion or doubt in; muddle; confound: an issue bedeviled by prejudices.
to beset or hamper continuously: a new building bedeviled by elevator failures.

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Origin of bedevil

First recorded in 1760–70; be- + devil

OTHER WORDS FROM bedevil

be·dev·il·ment, noun

Words nearby bedevil

bedeck, bedeguar, bedehouse, bedel, bedesman, bedevil, bedew, bedfast, bedfellow, bedford, bedford cord
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to bedevilment

persecution, provocation, molestation, annoyance, disturbance, bother, exasperation, aggravation, perturbation, torment, irritation, hassle, trouble, vexation, nuisance, provoking, bothering, pestering, vexing

Example sentences from the Web for bedevilment

British Dictionary definitions for bedevilment

bedevil
/ (bɪˈdɛvəl) /

verb -ils, -illing or -illed or US -ils, -iling or -iled (tr)

to harass or torment
to throw into confusion
to possess, as with a devil

Derived forms of bedevil

bedevilment, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012