dickens

noun

dick·​ens ˈdi-kənz How to pronounce dickens (audio)
Synonyms of dickensnext
: devil, deuce

Examples of dickens in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His absentee boss, whose own messaging often has been the dickens to decipher, obviously feels OK with what’s gone on here. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 7 June 2022 One very important part of that care is pruning, something that scares the dickens out of people. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2021 There was Bienchen in a nutshell: cute as the dickens but equipped with lacerating teeth. — Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2021 The way the Rams’ game imploded should scare the dickens out of L.A.’s players and coaches. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

euphemism

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dickens was in 1599

Phrases Containing dickens

Rhymes for dickens

See All Rhymes for dickens

Browse Nearby Words

dickcissel
dickens
Dickens
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dickens.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dickens. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dickens

noun
dick·​ens ˈdik-ənz How to pronounce dickens (audio)
: devil entry 1 sense 1, deuce
—used chiefly as a mild oath
what the dickens do you mean?

Biographical Definition

Dickens

biographical name

Dick·​ens ˈdi-kənz How to pronounce Dickens (audio)
Charles John Huffam 1812–1870 pseudonym Boz ˈbäz How to pronounce Dickens (audio) ˈbōz How to pronounce Dickens (audio) English novelist
Dickensian
di-ˈken-zē-ən How to pronounce Dickens (audio)
-sē-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on dickens

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dickens

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