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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Ueda’s comments come after BOJ board member Hajime Takata reportedly said Tuesday that the Japanese central bank needs to raise interest rates further, as keeping them low at current levels could result in excessive risk-taking and higher inflation.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
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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About 24 hours later, the mischievous feline found her forever home.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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That fierce jaw, those full lips, the upper one bowed and sweet — at odds with the mischievous grin tugging at its corners.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Both California and Florida, which have always been disaster-prone states, have seen an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events over the past few years.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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In participating in those extreme acts, Saha said, people fall victim to a group psychology that both permits and encourages more extreme behavior.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
17 Feb. 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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Are people born wicked, or is wickedness thrust upon them?—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
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Cancer had snatched his leg with a wicked arm tackle.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Your voice is insane.—
Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com,
al,
4 Apr. 2023
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The Republican and right-wing reaction is just insane.—
Michael Tomasky,
The New Republic,
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 3 Mar. 2025.
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