devilry
noun
dev·il·ry
ˈde-vᵊl-rē 
variants
or deviltry
plural devilries or deviltries
1
2
: an act of devilry
Synonyms
Examples of devilry in a Sentence
children always getting into some devilry
superstitious villagers who were quick to attribute an unexpected occurrence to devilry
Recent Examples on the Web
As shown in his previous films, Eggers’ sensibility has roots not in contemporary horror but in stories from centuries past that become vivid and febrile, alive with an insidious devilry that inches under your skin.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence.
—Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Shyamalan, to be fair, has lost none of his compositional devilry; notice his bisecting of the screen with clean vertical lines—the trunk of a tree, or the edge of a shower curtain, behind which somebody may or may not lurk.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023
Who are the sword and sorcery protagonists that scratch your itch for devilry and adventure?
—Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2021
Suddenly, modernists were jockeying to impose some glass-and-steel devilry atop the old dame.
—Shawn McCreesh, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2021
Before long, the angry and injured young wife is the one on trial for witchcraft — fighting for her life as the apparent evidence of devilry accrues.
—BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2021
Aboard the ship, mysterious devilry begins to take place and a demon is suspected to be behind it.
—Kami Phillips, CNN Underscored, 8 Oct. 2020
The mildly disastrous consequences of Eddie’s devilry predictably set up the big moment at the end of the show in which Ward or June Cleaver would distill an important Life Lesson from the experience.
—Paul Farhi, Washington Post, 19 May 2020
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David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
That’s enough devilry to explain at least much of Haiti’s challenges without resorting to tales of satanic influence.
—Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Shyamalan, to be fair, has lost none of his compositional devilry; notice his bisecting of the screen with clean vertical lines—the trunk of a tree, or the edge of a shower curtain, behind which somebody may or may not lurk.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023
Who are the sword and sorcery protagonists that scratch your itch for devilry and adventure?
—Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2021
Suddenly, modernists were jockeying to impose some glass-and-steel devilry atop the old dame.
—Shawn McCreesh, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2021
Before long, the angry and injured young wife is the one on trial for witchcraft — fighting for her life as the apparent evidence of devilry accrues.
—BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2021
Aboard the ship, mysterious devilry begins to take place and a demon is suspected to be behind it.
—Kami Phillips, CNN Underscored, 8 Oct. 2020
The mildly disastrous consequences of Eddie’s devilry predictably set up the big moment at the end of the show in which Ward or June Cleaver would distill an important Life Lesson from the experience.
—Paul Farhi, Washington Post, 19 May 2020
Dictionary Entries Near devilry
Cite this Entry
“Devilry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devilry. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
devilry
noun
dev·il·ry
ˈdev-əl-rē
variants
or deviltry
plural devilries or deviltries
1
: wicked or cruel behavior
2
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