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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The girl kneeled on the floor before a colorful depiction of the Second Heavens, flowers in her hands and figurines of shapely beings with devilish heads surrounding her.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Perhaps Indecent Proposal presents the perfect path for how America can successfully woo and ultimately merge with Greenland, starting with an indecent and unwanted proposal, just the way Robert Redford’s handsomely devilish Gage does.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Well, Cumming, 59, isn't quite as devilish in real life.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Perhaps Indecent Proposal presents the perfect path for how America can successfully woo and ultimately merge with Greenland, starting with an indecent and unwanted proposal, just the way Robert Redford’s handsomely devilish Gage does.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Well, Cumming, 59, isn't quite as devilish in real life.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Meanwhile, excessive rainfall from the weekend storms has led to river and creek flooding in areas south and east of the Kansas City metro.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article The Aurora City Council at a meeting Tuesday is set to consider changes to the parking ordinance that police say will help with the excessive number of commercial vehicles being parked on city roads.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Directed by Jeremiah Kipp, the film is billed as a new chapter in the story that will expand on the game’s world and mythology, delving deeper into the lore of the demonic entities plaguing River Fields.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
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The film follows Mikey, whose night terrors become reality when his mother begins showing signs of demonic possession.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ramona is an imaginative (and mischievous) fourth grader who is always up to something.—
Marilyn La Jeunesse,
Parents,
10 Apr. 2025
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However, the house is haunted, and the group must confront their differences to survive the night against a host of mischievous ghosts.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And these are both short and long-term outcomes, like extreme fatigue.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
17 Apr. 2025
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Magic is a big part of it, but Evel Knievel-level showmanship and extreme endurance also figure into the equation.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Or, more likely, The Sentry is simply the benevolent mirror image of that shadowy, sinister entity that emerges after Bob Reynolds ingests a super serum.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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However, what was happening behind the scenes was more sinister than what the public thought.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Based on the famed Brothers Grimm tale, the story follows a princess who is rescued by seven dwarf miners who make Snow White part of their household after she’s exiled into a dangerous forest by her wicked stepmother.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
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The offence O’Reilly’s draft day scouting reports suggested the Oilers chose a middle-six centre (second or third line) with wicked checking ability and enough offence to project into a feature role if everything worked out.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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If 51% of the population is being so underserved, the ratio to opportunity is insane.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This playful, colorful apartment block designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser ignores straight lines entirely and proves that architecture can be joyful rebellion.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
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Once she’s done blending, her full glam results are stunning yet intriguing, with a playful feminine hue.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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