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devilment

American  
[dev-uhl-muhnt] / ˈdɛv əl mənt /

noun

  1. devilish action or conduct; deviltry.

devilment British  
/ ˈdɛvəlmənt /

noun

  1. devilish or mischievous conduct

"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

Etymology

Origin of devilment

First recorded in 1765–75; devil + -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She is all mischief and devilment, huggably wise, possessed of an agile mind and a sweet nature as a mystery writer/amateur detective who is always one amiable step ahead of the police.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2022

Above all others, Kieran Tierney has that devilment, but can he recover from his calf injury in time?

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2021

Conte has had his fill of Costa’s devilment.

From The Guardian • Sep. 18, 2017

Unlike a contemporary version of Cassius, who was forever pacing the floor and wondering how much devilment he could put his fellow citizens up to by calling it conscience instead of opportunism.

From Washington Times • Dec. 27, 2016

In the extremely unlikely event that he even came across a hog, he figured, he’d allow it to study devilment in peace.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.