devil

noun
UK: /ˈdev.əl/
US: /ˈdev.əl/

  1. An evil being, often associated with hell, who is considered to be the opponent of God.

    1. The devil tempted him to steal the money. [ ] [ ]
    2. According to the Bible, the devil is responsible for all the evil in the world. [ ] [ ]

  2. A very wicked or cruel person.

    1. He is a devil and treats his workers very badly. [ ] [ ]
    2. The dictator was seen as a devil by the people he oppressed for so long. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to emphasize strong feelings such as annoyance or surprise.

    1. What the devil do you think you are doing? [ ] [ ]
    2. How the devil did you manage to break your leg on vacation? [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

fiend rogue satan demon rascal
devil verb

  1. To annoy or harass someone.

    1. Stop deviling me about the money! [ ] [ ]
    2. The older boys would devil the younger ones at school. [ ] [ ]
devil adjective

  1. Spicy or highly seasoned.

    1. I ordered the devil chicken for dinner. [ ] [ ]
    2. This dish has a devil sauce, be careful it's very hot. [ ] [ ]
devil intransitive-verb

  1. To act as a junior assistant, often in printing.

    1. He was deviling for a printer before he started his business. [ ] [ ]
    2. She learned the trade by deviling in her father's print shop. [ ] [ ]
devil transitive-verb

  1. To prepare (food) with hot seasoning.

    1. Devil the eggs with paprika. [ ] [ ]
    2. She can devil kidneys better than anyone I know. [ ] [ ]
devil interjection

  1. A phrase expressing annoyance, surprise, or disagreement.

    1. What the devil are you doing here at this hour? [ ] [ ]
    2. Go to the devil if you think I will help you after that. [ ] [ ]
devil idiom

  1. Used in various idioms to emphasize difficulty, bad luck, or a problematic situation.

    1. The devil is in the details of this contract. [ ] [ ]
    2. It was a devil of a job to get the car started this morning. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "devil" in English means: An evil being, often associated with hell, who is considered to be the opponent of God., A very wicked or cruel person., Used to emphasize strong feelings such as annoyance or surprise..

The phonetic transcription of "devil" is /ˈdev.əl/ in British English and /ˈdev.əl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "devil": fiend, rogue, satan, demon, rascal.

Example usage of "devil": "The devil tempted him to steal the money.". More examples on the page.