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
Talk about a daring and devilish move.
—
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Specifically, a short but spicy micro-French manicure that traded in the typical white tips for a rich red that reflects the devilish stiletto so closely associated with the movie.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 31 Mar. 2026
Holding viewers by the throat for a handful of strong beats, even as the script slips through the entire cast’s fingers, the devilish actor sells Besson’s interpretation on charisma and cunning.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, the shattering beauty of the music is sometimes swallowed in the devilish din.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Specifically, a short but spicy micro-French manicure that traded in the typical white tips for a rich red that reflects the devilish stiletto so closely associated with the movie.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 31 Mar. 2026
Holding viewers by the throat for a handful of strong beats, even as the script slips through the entire cast’s fingers, the devilish actor sells Besson’s interpretation on charisma and cunning.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, the shattering beauty of the music is sometimes swallowed in the devilish din.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Too much iron can be dangerous, and excessive vitamin D may lead to high calcium levels and other complications.—
Sara Hoffman,
Verywell Health,
18 June 2026
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Study author Alexandros Vgontzas, MD, director of the Sleep Research and Treatment Center at Penn State College of Medicine, told Health the results suggest that excessive daytime sleepiness and prolonged sleep latency may be important risk factors for hypertension.—
Zoe Cunniffe,
Health,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Authorities said Proper kept a journal outlining his belief that a larger group worships a demonic figure and engages in the ritual sacrifice of children.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
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Together with his assistant Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) and true believer Wyck (Stephen Root), Tom discovers the off vibes originate with a pact between town founder Richard Warren (Hamish Linklater) and the demonic force that inhabits the island.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Roy interjected with the mischievous smirk typical of a younger brother trying to ruffle some feathers.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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The new set will let builders assemble the mischievous supernatural messenger and his watchful bird companion.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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After the game, the team were addressed by a group of government officials who, according to Ilunga at least, threatened them with extreme consequences if things went really badly in their game against Brazil.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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After all the angst about traffic, high ticket prices, long security lines and extreme heat, stadium operations ran relatively smoothly.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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At the very least, they are connected to a sinister entity that preys on the minds of its victims.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
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There’s been something sinister afoot in provincial France in recent years.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Philadelphia already boasts a wicked rotation with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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Spark, who was born in 1918 and died in 2006, had a talent for writing wicked little books that defy easy categorization; her coming-of-age stories feel like horror stories, her horror stories feel like love stories, and her love stories feel like acid satire.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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That’s an insane thing to believe.—
Holly Gleason,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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And ultimately, the premise of the show is insane horror tropes are happening to boring, normal people.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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In this rendition, the diabolical duo of Todd and Lovett are younger, more wiry, more tightly wound and thus more dangerous.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
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Consider, for example, his approach to one of the most diabolical tasks in the show’s history, in which players were challenged to complete seven different sub-tasks without any hint of the correct order.—
Matthew Jackson,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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