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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilish
Escola’s brazenly ahistorical Mary Todd is one of those devilish comic creations, such as Jiminy Glick or Pee-wee Herman, that seems less invented than sprung free, never to return.
—
Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Everett arranges the resulting fragments into a grim picture: The folksy charm of Jim, Huck Finn’s loyal traveling companion on the run from slavery, is replaced with the devilish wit of James, a serious, erudite man making tough choices in deadly situations.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024
Many people believed that faeries were capable of all sorts of wicked tricks: Stealing babies or children and replacing them with changelings, making devilish bargains, trapping people in the Otherworld for eternity.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Crosswinds — which many players have described as one of Royal Troon’s most devilish challenges — make that practice particularly difficult.
—Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Everett arranges the resulting fragments into a grim picture: The folksy charm of Jim, Huck Finn’s loyal traveling companion on the run from slavery, is replaced with the devilish wit of James, a serious, erudite man making tough choices in deadly situations.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024
Many people believed that faeries were capable of all sorts of wicked tricks: Stealing babies or children and replacing them with changelings, making devilish bargains, trapping people in the Otherworld for eternity.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Crosswinds — which many players have described as one of Royal Troon’s most devilish challenges — make that practice particularly difficult.
—Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Their sponsors said they were aimed at reducing excessive regulatory burdens and federal spending, and safeguarding Medicaid and Medicare.—
Gabriella Borter,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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According to the department, some tow truck companies are targeting car accident victims by towing their vehicles—often without clear consent—and then demanding excessive fees for their release.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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How did this cheeky demonic child come so close to toppling Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
25 Feb. 2025
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The new king of the Chinese box office is an adorably ugly, demonic child fighting off monsters.—
Claire Fu,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Michelle Trachtenberg's fans are remembering her in one of her most mischievous roles.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
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Addressing his health issues and impact of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, the film showcases the central role music continues to play in Ozzy’s life, also proving his mischievous sense of humor remains resolutely intact, despite it all.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The staff forecasts and tracks tornadoes, hurricanes, and extreme rainfall events, and is also responsible for predicting solar storms and protecting the fish, crabs, and other species that help feed the nation.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
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According to Parkinson, the improbability of Lemons' survival and extreme nature of saturation diving is what originally drew him to the story.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Deepfakes first attracted attention for its use in making fake celebrity pornographic films, but their uses have subsequently evolved to more sinister reasons.—
Rohan Pinto,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Columbia Pictures When Bobbie also suddenly transforms, Joanna discovers that her best friend has been replaced by a robot—along with all the other wives—and realizes the sinister forces at work in Stepford are coming for her next.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the years leading up to his voice work for the wicked prince hoping to woo Fiona, Everett worked as a writer, playwright and TV presenter.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
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Purveyor of brutal, bloody violence Timo Tjahjanto reminded us why Indonesia is an action-hub with a wicked end fight between Aurora Ribero and Hana Prinatina in Shadow Strays.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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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This neon green swimsuit is the epitome of all of these elements, with a playful cutout across the torso and a high-cut waist to flash some skin.—
Madison Yauger,
People.com,
23 Feb. 2025
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Transitioning to the playful if immature Roxster in Mad About the Boy was a breath of fresh air for Woodall.—
Kalia Richardson,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to devilish
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.
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