: the most powerful spirit of evil in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam who is often represented as the ruler of hell
informal
1
—used to make a statement or question more forceful
What the devil are you talking about?
Where the devil have you been?
2
: something that is very difficult or that causes a lot of trouble
The shoes look great, but they're the devil to walk in.
Examples of the Devil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
The deepest portion bears the nickname the Devil's Elbow.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024
The Damned is a dark vision, bleaker than Spielberg’s Lincoln, matching Meek’s Cutoff and Ride with the Devil, but lacking the panoramic spectacle of The Revenant.
—Armond White, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024
In 2020, their album Even the Devil Believes debuted atop the ranking, marking the genre favorites’ inaugural leader.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the Devil 
Noun
The trip culminated in a final stop at the Devil’s Thumb, a 9,000-foot-tall summit in Alaska amid a jagged mountain range even many experienced climbers wouldn’t dare to scale.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2024
The deepest portion bears the nickname the Devil's Elbow.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024
The Damned is a dark vision, bleaker than Spielberg’s Lincoln, matching Meek’s Cutoff and Ride with the Devil, but lacking the panoramic spectacle of The Revenant.
—Armond White, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024
In 2020, their album Even the Devil Believes debuted atop the ranking, marking the genre favorites’ inaugural leader.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the Devil
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the Devil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the Devil
Cite this Entry
“The Devil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Devil. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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