devil

To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.

Proper noun

  1. The chief devil; Satan.

    Synonyms: Aduwallah Adversary Al-Shaytaan Antichrist archfiend Ash-Shaytan Azazel Beast Beelzebub bogey cosmocrat deceiver deuce Devil diablo Diabolus dickens Dragon Enemy Evil One Father of Lies Gog Iblis Jack Ketch

    Antonyms: God

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwísder. Ancient Greek διά (diá) Ancient Greek δια- (dia-) Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der. Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō Ancient Greek βάλλω (bállō) Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō) Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos)bor. Latin diabolusbor. Proto-West Germanic *diubul Old English dēofol Middle English devel English devil From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek)....

Forms

the devil Devil davil debbil diuel divel divil deuill devel devell devill diuell

Noun

  1. An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.

    Synonyms: demon

    Antonyms: angel god

  2. A man with red or orange skin and a pair of horns on his head, a pointed goatee, and a long tail, who carries a pitchfork, represents evil, and is portrayed to children as a boogeyman who punishes bad behavior.
  3. The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
    • The devil in me wants to let him suffer.

    Antonyms: angel conscience

  4. A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
    • Those two kids are devils in a toy store.

    Synonyms: imp rascal scamp scoundrel

    Antonyms: angel saint

  5. A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
    • That math problem was a devil.

    Synonyms: bastard bitch bugger stinker

    Antonyms: cakewalk piece of cake

  6. Hell.
    • What in the devil is that?
    • What the devil is that?
    • She is having a devil of a time fixing it.

    Synonyms: deuce dickens fuck heck hell

  7. A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
    • 'Well, I'm damned,' said Bond. 'Of course that old devil M never told me. He just gives one the facts. Never tells one any good news. I suppose he thinks it might influence one's decision to take a case or not.' - 1954,...

    Synonyms: bugger cow sod

  8. A printer's assistant.
    • For he will not leave his listener to dwell upon sorrow when the print office beckons and he can show you what a good little devil he became. - 2010, Andrea Levy, The Long Song, Tinder Press (2017), page 381:

    Synonyms: printer's devil

  9. A poltergeist that haunts printing works.
  10. A dust devil.
    • The formation of tornados and water-spouts is very probably identical with that of dust-storms and "devils," viz., a sudden disturbance of the vertical equilibrium of the atmosphere, where by an upward rush of air is...
    • There are few sights more appalling than a sandstorm in the desert, the "Zauba'ah" as the Arabs call it. Devils, or pillars of sand, vertical and inclined, measuring a thousand feet high[.] - 1885, Richard F. Burton,...
  11. A barren, unproductive and unused area.
    • devil strip
  12. A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
    • Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. - 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III),...

Forms

devils davil debbil diuel divel divil deuill devel devell devill diuell

Related

diabolo diablo

Derived

archdevil be a devil bedevil better the devil you know better the devil you know than the devil you don't better the devil you know than the devil you don't know better the devil you know than the one you don't better the devil you know than the one you don't know between the devil and the deep blue sea blue devil blue devils Cartesian devil cast out the Devil with Beelzebub dance with the devil daredevil deal with the devil demidevil devil a bit devil bird devil chase devil dance devil dancer devil dancing devil devil

Verb

  1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
  2. To annoy or bother.

    Synonyms: bedevil aggravate annoy nettle rankle ruffle sting antagonize bother disgruntle botherate bug get grate burn up cheese off devil exasperate frustrate get up grotch hack off hassle irk

  3. To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
    • He did not repeat the scathing estimate of her character by Quatrefages, who at that time spent one afternoon a week devilling at the Consulate, keeping the petty-cash box in order. - 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia...
  4. To ghostwrite; to author while working as a ‘devil’.
    • Didn't secretaries write the speeches of Parliamentary "big-bugs"? Weren't the opinions of eminent lawyers often written by their juniors, read over and signed? Weren't briefs and pleadings devilled? - 1922, John...
  5. To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy:
    • […]; you could watch a buckwheat pancake whirled into existence under your eyes and see fowls' legs devilled, peppered, grilled, and tormented till they lost all semblance of the original Mariposa chicken. - 1912,...

    1. To finely grind (cooked ham or other meat) with spices and condiments.

    2. To prepare (shelled halved boiled eggs, as a sidedish) by removing the yolks, adding condiments and spices to them, and placing that mixture back into (the halved eggs' whites) to be served.

      • She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
  6. To shred fabric into its fibres for recycling, as in the production of mungo or shoddy.
    • Tailors' clippings and remnants of fine woollen goods, such as broadcloth, etc., are devilled and spun into yarn for making cloth of nicer quality, called mungo. - 1918, Henry J. Spooner, Wealth from Waste: Elimination...

Forms

devils deviling devilling deviled devilled davil debbil diuel divel divil deuill devel devell devill diuell

Related

Al-Shaytaan angel daeva demon enemy ghoul jinn Lucifer nasnas Satan

Derived

deviled crab devilled crab deviled egg devilled egg deviled ham devilled ham devilled kidneys devilled sausages between the devil and the deep blue sea devil bolt devil seam devil to pay