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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilish
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
As the tides of fortune spin, so does the boat, allowing lightning designer Kevin Adams to spotlight specific occupants in ghostly green, devilish red, and soft sunrise hues.
—EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Cooper's fighting talk is part of Leicester's new combative off-field approach
Confidence.
—New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Harris' court case attracted lots of attention, with some clamoring for Sam to return to his devilish lifestyle and animal rights activists demanding the chimp be released from his racy conditions.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devilish 
Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
As the tides of fortune spin, so does the boat, allowing lightning designer Kevin Adams to spotlight specific occupants in ghostly green, devilish red, and soft sunrise hues.
—EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Cooper's fighting talk is part of Leicester's new combative off-field approach
Confidence.
—New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Harris' court case attracted lots of attention, with some clamoring for Sam to return to his devilish lifestyle and animal rights activists demanding the chimp be released from his racy conditions.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Those not able to cash in, however, see the program as one of two things: a genuine offer hamstrung by excessive red tape, or a half-hollow gesture meant to rack up free PR in the midst of a historic disaster.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2025
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Progressive reformers viewed this as a modern evil just like unsafe working conditions and the excessive power of trusts.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Written and directed by Clive Barker in his directorial debut, Hellraiser sees a woman try to banish a sadistic group of demonic beings back to their own dimension after inadvertently releasing from a mysterious puzzle box.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
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Set in Europe during the Dark Ages, the story sees hordes from Hell invading Europe when the Six Petals, a secret sect of the Knights Templar, pray to God to drive back the demonic scourge.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Coyotes often mate for life and are good parents, a contradiction to popular culture’s idea of the desert wolf as mischievous and cunning villain.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2025
-
Pudi, as usual, is as mischievous as ever in his relentless pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder, outsmarting his bosses—and perhaps even himself.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But families hoping to escape the long shadow of Trump’s policies may experience extreme challenges in getting to safety.—
Nico Lang,
Rolling Stone,
5 Feb. 2025
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This extreme weather is being fueled by an atmospheric river currently drenching northern California, which is expected to persist into Wednesday.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Director Josh Ruben, along with screenwriters Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy, craftily concocts a sweetly sinister genre mashup, blending romantic comedy tropes with slasher movie fodder.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
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The typically magnetic Ramírez looms large, delivering a masterful turn as a well-heeled but enigmatically sinister figure who may or may not have his client’s best interest at heart.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This is a wicked satire that would make Jonathan Swift sit up and take notice.—
Barbara Ellis,
The Denver Post,
3 Feb. 2025
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Cinderella becomes Cinderella, and Elvira becomes the wicked stepsister.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Your voice is insane.—
Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com,
al,
4 Apr. 2023
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But obviously winning the grand jury prize was insane.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2023
Adjective
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Decorated with lace-up flys and perched just so on the hips, Marant’s tight pants are playful, vintage-inspired takes on the trend.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
30 Jan. 2025
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The Top Dawg signee leaps beyond her TikTok hit and playful EPs with effortless storytelling and beats that harken back to ’90s hip-hop.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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