devilry

American  

[dev-uhl-ree] / ˈdɛv əl ri /

noun

plural

devilries

1. deviltry.

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devilry British  

/ ˈdɛvəlrɪ /

noun

1. reckless or malicious fun or mischief

2. wickedness or cruelty

3. black magic or other forms of diabolism

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Etymology

Origin of devilry

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; devil, -ry

Example Sentences

He possessed both the winemaking skills and an appetite for devilry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

That makes a person wonder what manner of devilry they're concealing; after all, if there's literally nothing to see in front of us, surely it's hiding elsewhere.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2022

There’s hardly one whole brain to be assembled from the scraps of mentality distributed among the story’s criminal plotters—and Steve, with his laid-back overconfidence in his casually cavalier devilry, proves no sharper than the rest.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 29, 2016

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

But when the eighth came round, a certain Phoinikian adventurer came too, a plausible rat, who had already done plenty of devilry in the world.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer