devious

[dee-vee-uhs]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR devious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

departing from the most direct way; circuitous; indirect: a devious course.

without definite course; vagrant: a devious current.

departing from the proper or accepted way; roundabout: a devious procedure.

not straightforward; shifty or crooked: a devious scheme to acquire wealth.

Origin of devious

1590–1600; < Latin dēvius out-of-the way, erratic, equivalent to dē- de- + -vius adj. derivative of via way; see -ous

Related formsde·vi·ous·ly, adverbde·vi·ous·ness, nounnon·de·vi·ous, adjectivenon·de·vi·ous·ly, adverbnon·de·vi·ous·ness, nounun·de·vi·ous, adjectiveun·de·vi·ous·ly, adverbun·de·vi·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms for devious

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR devious ON THESAURUS.COM

1. roundabout, tortuous, involved. 4. subtle, cunning, crafty, artful, sly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for devious

fraudulent, duplicitous, wily, deceitful, sneaky, shrewd, insidious, insincere, sly, calculating, underhanded, circuitous, misleading, artful, crooked, double-dealing, errant, erring, evasive, fishy

Examples from the Web for devious

Contemporary Examples of devious

In ways large and small, devious and immature, ingenious and inspiring, she struggled to escape.
The Day the Fairytale Died
Marilyn Johnson
July 12, 2014
Rocket teamed up with the Incredible Hulk to overthrow Judson Jakes, a devious mole.
11 Things to Know About Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy
Marina Watts
February 19, 2014
“I love college football,” she tells me with a devious grin.
Meet the Pint-Sized Pro Golfers of Netflix’s ‘The Short Game’
Abby Haglage
December 12, 2013
Many of those who voted for President Clinton, Bork averred, did so because they were rooked by devious liberal lies.
Speed Read: Best Bits From Robert Bork’s ‘Slouching Towards Gomorrah’
Michael Moynihan
December 20, 2012
Its intentions were not dark and devious, nor threatening our freedoms.
How to Make a $50 Bill Worth Millions
Barry Levinson
March 30, 2010

Historical Examples of devious

In arriving at this decision her mind traveled a number of devious roads.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
We will go by devious ways, and so, I hope, will reach Sherwood in safety.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
I have approached by the most devious and undiscovered paths.
Imogen
William Godwin
He might approach the subject by these devious ways, he told himself.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
Perplexed by his devious ramble, he was more at fault than ever.
Chronicles of Border Warfare
Alexander Scott Withers

British Dictionary definitions for devious

devious

adjective

not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand

(of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout

going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring

Derived Formsdeviously, adverbdeviousness, noun

Word Origin for devious

C16: from Latin dēvius lying to one side of the road, from de- + via road

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

Word Origin and History for devious

adj.

1590s, "out of the way," from Latin devius "out of the way, remote, off the main road," from de via (see deviate). Originally in the Latin literal sense; figurative sense of "deceitful" is first recorded 1630s. Related: Deviously; deviousness. Figurative senses of the Latin word were "retired, sequestered, wandering in the byways, foolish, inconsistent."