devious

[ dee-vee-uhs ]

adjective

1. departing from the most direct way; circuitous; indirect:

   a devious course.

   Synonyms: involved, tortuous, roundabout

2. without definite course; vagrant:

   a devious current.

3. departing from the proper or accepted way; roundabout:

   a devious procedure.

4. not straightforward; shifty or crooked:

   a devious scheme to acquire wealth.

   Synonyms: sly, artful, crafty, cunning, subtle

devious

/ ˈdiːvɪəs /

adjective

1. not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand
2. (of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout
3. going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring

Derived Forms

• ˈdeviously, adverb
• ˈdeviousness, noun

Other Words From

• devi·ous·ly adverb
• devi·ous·ness noun
• non·devi·ous adjective
• non·devi·ous·ly adverb
• non·devi·ous·ness noun
• un·devi·ous adjective
• un·devi·ous·ly adverb
• un·devi·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of devious¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin dēvius “out-of-the-way, erratic,” from dē- de- + -vius (adjective derivative of via “way”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of devious¹

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

Example Sentences

I’ve pounded the desk while doing devious British crosswords.

From Time

In Philipps’s telling, Gallagher is a soulless master manipulator who goads his men into committing war crimes in a devious effort to prevent them from turning on him.

From Washington Post

Exceedingly devious how you hid the context with an ellipses in your tweet.

From Washington Post

Everyone who is a critic of Carlson is engaged in some devious effort to undermine him and his supporters, the truth-teller and the real Americans.

From Washington Post

In ways large and small, devious and immature, ingenious and inspiring, she struggled to escape.

From The Daily Beast

Rocket teamed up with the Incredible Hulk to overthrow Judson Jakes, a devious mole.

From The Daily Beast

“I love college football,” she tells me with a devious grin.

From The Daily Beast

The alleged conspirators also used more devious means to bolster credit scores.

From The Daily Beast

Bork said modern liberals have to use devious lies to get elected.

From The Daily Beast

Easterns are born with an appetite for intrigue, with a love of walking in hidden ways and creeping along devious paths.

From Project Gutenberg

The conversation had come, by some devious route, to Vegetarianism; and the clergyman was disapproving of it.

From Project Gutenberg

Fettes, with various liquors singing in his head, returned home with devious footsteps and a mind entirely in abeyance.

From Project Gutenberg

The remaining bullocks strayed devious, and the douce McLaughlan blandly absorbed the sheep.

From Project Gutenberg

Then he almost suspected that Lester was being devious and clever.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• calculating
• deceitful
• duplicitous
• fraudulent
• insidious
• insincere
• shrewd
• sly
• sneaky
• underhanded
• wily