1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
that's a devilish amount of bad luck for any person to have to endure
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2
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a devilish plan to sabotage the other party's political convention
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3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a devilish grin that told us he was up to something
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilish
As the tides of fortune spin, so does the boat, allowing lightning designer Kevin Adams to spotlight specific occupants in ghostly green, devilish red, and soft sunrise hues.
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EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Cooper's fighting talk is part of Leicester's new combative off-field approach
Confidence.
—New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Harris' court case attracted lots of attention, with some clamoring for Sam to return to his devilish lifestyle and animal rights activists demanding the chimp be released from his racy conditions.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
Jonathan is a mild-mannered, sweet-as-pie victim and Catherine is a devilish cougar, preying on a young man just trying to backpack through Europe.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devilish 
EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Cooper's fighting talk is part of Leicester's new combative off-field approach
Confidence.
—New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Harris' court case attracted lots of attention, with some clamoring for Sam to return to his devilish lifestyle and animal rights activists demanding the chimp be released from his racy conditions.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
Jonathan is a mild-mannered, sweet-as-pie victim and Catherine is a devilish cougar, preying on a young man just trying to backpack through Europe.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Causes Depending on the type, blisters can be caused by excessive force or injury to the skin, heat, moisture, friction, fractures, and certain health conditions.Laura Schober, Health, 27 Dec. 2024
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Interestingly, orexin deficiency is a leading cause of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder marked by episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness.Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For Koreans at that time (and to some extent even now), Karl Marx was not just a historical figure but a kind of demonic being symbolizing the world of darkness.Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
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The answer is Krampus, the somewhat demonic counterpart to Santa Claus.Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The actor, 67, reflected on playing mischievous but mindless criminal Marv in the hit holiday classic while speaking to Entertainment Tonight.Rachel Raposas, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
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From the nineteen-thirties onward, clusters of artists were drawn there, paying bright and mischievous tribute to it in ink and paint.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Jim Clash covers extreme adventure and classic rock.Jim Clash, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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Now, police are taking extreme action The police department is trying something new: sending a letter to the business where the person had their last drink.Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Luis is building a hotel for Herr König (Dan Stevens, a scream queen in his own right), whose eccentric behavior points to a sinister agenda.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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All this hints at a more sinister story inside; this was a factory for a highly addictive drug called Captagon.Greg Myre, NPR, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That didn’t include two wicked corners from Kieran Trippier that could be counted as real efforts to score given recent goals against United.Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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Pettersson took his time, stepped into the open space and uncorked a wicked top-shelf snipe.Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Your voice is insane.Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023
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But obviously winning the grand jury prize was insane.Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023
Adjective
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Led by the resort’s resident marine biologist, you’ll soon be joined by playful pods of dolphins swimming alongside your boat.Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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The waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean draw pods of playful bottlenose dolphins that love to swim alongside boats and leap out of the water in graceful arcs.AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 17 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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