deviltry
Americannoun
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deviltries
plural
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reckless or unrestrained mischievous behavior.
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extreme or utter wickedness.
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an act or instance of mischievous or wicked behavior.
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diabolic magic or art.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of deviltry
First recorded in 1780–90; variant of devilry
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.
See Examples For:
The mildly disastrous consequences of Eddie’s deviltry predictably set up the big moment at the end of the show in which Ward or June Cleaver would distill an important Life Lesson from the experience.
From Washington Post ● May 18, 2020
Why does Dirk — clearly an evil mastermind on the rise — care so much about his wishy-washy, rather inept partner in deviltry?
From Washington Post ● Jun. 4, 2019
It was another bit of deviltry cooked up by education majors.
From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2012
Although she left the décor as it was, she could not resist a bit of deviltry.
From New York Times ● Jul. 9, 2011
“It is a marvelously small ear, and at the top it is shaped and carved after the fashion in which old sculptors indicated deviltry and vice in their statues of satyrs.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Too familiar were they with Vienna's fantastic deviltries to ignore such a scent.
From Time Magazine Archive
Because it does not have to crowd the child's progressive deviltries into a few solid blocks of stage action, the film makes Emil a more thoroughly plausible character than he was in the play.
From Time Magazine Archive
Josh Clunk, London criminal lawyer, who chants revival hymns while plotting legal deviltries, saves a client and clears up, in his own oblique style, four mysterious deaths in a corrupt English seaside town.
From Time Magazine Archive
Then truly they are the incarnations of Hell's deepest deviltries, and are as splendid in their malignity as they were formerly superb in their wickedness.
From Vondel's Lucifer by Joost van den Vondel
Frank’s dislike had grown to an impish vindictiveness, and if the old man Meeker had any knowledge of his son’s deviltries, he gave no sign.
From The Forester's Daughter A Romance of the Bear-Tooth Range by Hamlin Garland
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