devious

adjective

de·​vi·​ous ˈdē-vē-əs 

-vyəs

1

a

: wandering, roundabout

a devious path

b

: moving without a fixed course : errant

devious breezes

2

: out-of-the-way, remote

upon devious coasts

3

a

: deviating from a right, accepted, or common course

devious conduct

b

: not straightforward : cunning

a devious politician

also : deceptive

a devious trick

a devious plot

deviously adverb

deviousness noun

Did you know?

The "Lost" History of Devious

If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking—the word derives from the Latin adjective devius, itself formed from the prefix de- ("from" or "away") and the noun via ("way"). When devious was first used in the 16th century, it implied a literal wandering off the way, suggesting something that meandered or had no fixed course (as in "a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that had left the right path metaphorically rather than literally, or to describe deceitful rather than straightforward behavior.

Synonyms

• artful
• beguiling
• cagey
• cagy
• crafty
• cunning
• cute
• designing
• dodgy [chiefly British]
• foxy
• guileful
• scheming
• shrewd
• slick
• sly
• subtle
• tricky
• wily

Examples of devious in a Sentence

a dishonest and devious politician

He took us by a devious route to the center of the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Up top with Bernard and Lukas, the devious IT Head revels in his plan to starve the accomplices out. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 23 Dec. 2024

The island dwindled with more monumental blindsides like Andy’s devious Operation Italy which led to Rachel pulling out her immunity idol at the last possible moment (and her historic run with four immunity challenge wins!!). —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 18 Dec. 2024

Shannen Doherty, Christmas Caper (2007) 90210's Shannen Doherty brings her devious ways from Beverly Hills to small-town Connecticut, where her character, a con artist, goes to lay low after a crime gone wrong puts her on the police's radar in this Freeform original. —EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024

The scammers were devious, said Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens Alliance. —Bob Woods, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin devius, from de from + via way — more at de-, way

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

devious

adjective

de·​vi·​ous ˈdē-vē-əs 

1

: straying from a straight course : roundabout

the devious trail that wound along the creek

leading through devious mazes

2

: sneaky, deceptive

a devious plan

got it by devious means

deviously adverb

deviousness noun