devious

[ dee-vee-uhs ]

/ ˈdi vi əs /

Save This Word!

See 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR devious

1 roundabout, tortuous, involved.

4 subtle, cunning, crafty, artful, sly.

See synonyms for devious on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of devious

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

OTHER WORDS FROM devious

de·vi·ous·ly, adverbde·vi·ous·ness, nounnon·de·vi·ous, adjectivenon·de·vi·ous·ly, adverb

non·de·vi·ous·ness, nounun·de·vi·ous, adjectiveun·de·vi·ous·ly, adverbun·de·vi·ous·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use devious in a sentence

So just because there was a suspicious van that pulled up to a vote-counting center doesn't mean that anything more devious occurred than that a photographer was unloading his equipment.
If there is any real evidence of fraud, Mr. President, it’s time to put up|Philip Bump|November 28, 2020|Washington Post
But this hopeful breakthrough turned out to be no more than a deviously effective pretext for his escape.
Will Lapid And Bennett Free Israel's "Chained Women"?|Tova Hartman, Charlie Buckholtz|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her parentage is shrouded in mystery, and the story concerns the secret that deviously works to the surface.
The Eternal City|Hall Caine
The members of the Exiles Club should disperse deviously, and as soon as Smiths rotten schooners can take them.
The Exiles of Faloo|Barry Pain

Deviously, the race protected itself, or something higher watched over it to assure human continuity.
The Impossible Voyage Home|Floyd L. Wallace
It wound deviously, as though Huxham wished to make the approach to his abode as difficult as possible.
The Solitary Farm|Fergus Hume
Odd little devils of whirlwinds, marked by columnar pillars of dust, danced deviously across the fields and along the trails.
Desert Conquest|A. M. Chisholm

British Dictionary definitions for devious

devious

/ (ˈdiːvɪəs) /

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 forms of devious

deviously, 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

devious

OTHER WORDS FOR devious

Origin of devious

OTHER WORDS FROM devious

Words related to devious

How to use devious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for devious

Derived forms of devious

Word Origin for devious