devilry
Americannoun
noun
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reckless or malicious fun or mischief
-
wickedness or cruelty
-
black magic or other forms of diabolism
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of devilry
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at devil, -ry
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.
He possessed both the winemaking skills and an appetite for devilry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025
What else could it be — and what new devilry is waiting for us tomorrow?
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2019
A different, more downbeat brand of devilry is afoot in "The Exorcist," which takes off from William Peter Blatty’s bestselling 1971 novel and director William Friedkin's 1973 film.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2016
The film is certainly stuffed with devilry, and Eggers is not shy of familiar tropes.
From The New Yorker • Feb. 29, 2016
‘We feared that Saruman was brewing some new devilry for us.’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
