devil

[ dev-uhl ]

/ ˈdɛv əl /

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See synonyms for: devil / deviled / deviling / devilled on Thesaurus.com

noun

Theology.

(sometimes initial capital letter) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan.
a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption.

an atrociously wicked, cruel, or ill-tempered person.

a person who is very clever, energetic, reckless, or mischievous.

a person, usually one in unfortunate or pitiable circumstances: The poor devil kept losing jobs through no fault of his own.

Also called printer's devil. Printing. a young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office.

any of various mechanical devices, as a machine for tearing rags, a machine for manufacturing wooden screws, etc.

Nautical. (in deck or hull planking) any of various seams difficult to caulk because of form or position.

any of various portable furnaces or braziers used in construction and foundry work.

the devil, (used as an emphatic expletive or mild oath to express disgust, anger, astonishment, negation, etc.): What the devil do you mean by that?

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

to annoy; harass; pester: to devil Mom and Dad for a new car.

to tear (rags, cloth, etc.) with a devil.

Cooking. to prepare (food, usually minced) with hot or savory seasoning: to devil eggs.

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Idioms about devil

between the devil and the deep (blue) sea, between two undesirable alternatives; in an unpleasant dilemma.

devil of a, extremely difficult or annoying; hellish: I had a devil of a time getting home through the snow.

give the devil his due, to give deserved credit even to a person one dislikes: To give the devil his due, you must admit that she is an excellent psychologist.

go to the devil,

to fail completely; lose all hope or chance of succeeding.
to become depraved.
(an expletive expressing annoyance, disgust, impatience, etc.)

let the devil take the hindmost, to leave the least able or fortunate persons to suffer adverse consequences; leave behind or to one's fate: They ran from the pursuing mob and let the devil take the hindmost.

play the devil with, to ruin completely; spoil: The financial crisis played the devil with our investment plans.

raise the devil,

to cause a commotion or disturbance.
to celebrate wildly; revel.
to make an emphatic protest or take drastic measures.

the devil to pay, trouble to be faced; mischief in the offing: If conditions don't improve, there will be the devil to pay.

Origin of devil

before 900; Middle English devel,Old English dēofol<Late Latin diabolus<Greek diábolos Satan (Septuagint, NT), literally, slanderer (noun), slanderous (adj.), verbid of diabállein to assault someone's character, literally, to throw across, equivalent to dia-dia- + bállein to throw

OTHER WORDS FROM devil

outdevil, verb (used with object), out·dev·iled, out·dev·il·ing or (especially British) out·dev·illed, out·dev·il·ling.sub·dev·il, nounun·der·dev·il, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use devil in a sentence

Not surprisingly, the devil is in the details with this storm, which you can read about in more depth on our detailed storm post.
PM Update: Snow starts to pile up on Sunday|Greg Porter|January 30, 2021|Washington Post
Sponsor a Tasmanian devil, wombat or Forester kangaroo for about $38 a year.
A virtual menagerie: How conservation and rescue efforts can connect us with wildlife around the world|Andrea Sachs|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
“There will be a lot of devil stuck in the detail,” writes the BBC’s Chris Morris.
The essential numbers of the UK’s Brexit trade deal|Jackie Bischof|December 24, 2020|Quartz
So, maybe not the individual overcoming their own biases and blind spots, but that a system could be put in place, with checks and balances, and devil’s advocates on committees and so forth, that would protect against some of these things.
Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar? (Ep. 445)|Stephen J. Dubner|December 24, 2020|Freakonomics

The slowdown may stem from population decline — fewer devils means fewer transmission opportunities for a disease that spreads fastest within dense groups.
A highly contagious face cancer may not wipe out Tasmanian devils after all|Jonathan Lambert|December 10, 2020|Science News
This, he learned by watching May Bowen; however, to his chagrin, he never did get his grandmother's deviled crab recipe.
A Briny, South Carolina Oyster Shack|Jane & Michael Stern|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once an epicurean, caviar-flecked deviled egg emerges on a menu on South Beach, it will be widely copied throughout the nation.
6 Food Trends That Should Disappear|Jacquelynn D. Powers|June 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Deviled eggs are a cocktail-party staple and are magnetic in their ability to attract even abstemious guests.
What to Eat: Classic Hors d'Oeuvres, Revisited|Cookstr.com|November 3, 2009|DAILY BEAST
As will be observed, this is done in practically the same way that lobster is deviled.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Also deviled whitebait; also shrimps of choice quality; and a platter of small soft-shell crabs of a most superior breed.
Life On The Mississippi, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
He made rarebits and deviled things with an air that had been handed down from generations of epicures.
The Gay Cockade|Temple Bailey
Now that the lake was again storm-deviled, the White Sturgeon was gone.
The Spell of the White Sturgeon|James Arthur Kjelgaard
You may also devil them, as described in deviled chicken (Art. 266).
French Dishes for American Tables|Pierre Caron

British Dictionary definitions for devil

devil

/ (ˈdɛvəl) /

noun

theol (often capital) the chief spirit of evil and enemy of God, often represented as the ruler of hell and often depicted as a human figure with horns, cloven hoofs, and tail

theol one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief

a person or animal regarded as cruel, wicked, or ill-natured

a person or animal regarded as unfortunate or wretchedthat poor devil was ill for months

a person or animal regarded as clever, daring, mischievous, or energetic

informal something difficult or annoying

Christian Science the opposite of truth; an error, lie, or false belief in sin, sickness, and death

(in Malaysia) a ghost

a portable furnace or brazier, esp one used in road-making or one used by plumbersCompare salamander (def. 7)

any of various mechanical devices, usually with teeth, such as a machine for making wooden screws or a rag-tearing machine

See printer's devil

law (in England) a junior barrister who does work for another in order to gain experience, usually for a half fee

meteorol a small whirlwind in arid areas that raises dust or sand in a column

between the devil and the deep blue sea between equally undesirable alternatives

devil of informal (intensifier)a devil of a fine horse

give the devil his due to acknowledge the talent or the success of an opponent or unpleasant person

go to the devil

to fail or become dissipated
(interjection) used to express annoyance with the person causing it

like the devil with great speed, determination, etc

play the devil with informal to make much worse; upset considerablythe damp plays the devil with my rheumatism

raise the devil

to cause a commotion
to make a great protest

talk of the devil! or speak of the devil! (interjection) used when an absent person who has been the subject of conversation appears

the devil! (intensifier :)

used in such phrases as what the devil, where the devil, etc
an exclamation of anger, surprise, disgust, etc

the devil's own a very difficult or problematic (thing)

the devil take the hindmost or let the devil take the hindmost look after oneself and leave others to their fate

the devil to pay problems or trouble to be faced as a consequence of an action

the very devil something very difficult or awkward

verb -ils, -illing or -illed or US -ils, -iling or -iled

(tr) to prepare (esp meat, poultry, or fish) by coating with a highly flavoured spiced paste or mixture of condiments before cooking

(tr) to tear (rags) with a devil

(intr) to serve as a printer's devil

(intr) mainly British to do hackwork, esp for a lawyer or author; perform arduous tasks, often without pay or recognition of one's services

(tr) US informal to harass, vex, torment, etc

Word Origin for devil

Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos enemy, accuser, slanderer, from diaballein, literally: to throw across, hence, to slander

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

Cultural definitions for devil

devil

A bad or fallen angel. (See Satan.)

Other Idioms and Phrases with devil

devil

In addition to the idioms beginning with devil

devil and deep blue sea
devil of a
devil take the hindmost, the
devil to pay, the

also see:

between a rock and a hard place (devil and deep blue sea)
full of it (the devil)
give someone hell (the devil)
give the devil his due
go to hell (the devil)
luck of the devil
play the devil with
raise Cain (the devil)
speak of the devil

devil

Idioms about devil

Origin of devil

OTHER WORDS FROM devil

Words related to devil

How to use devil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for devil

Word Origin for devil

Cultural definitions for devil

Other Idioms and Phrases with devil