1
as in Satan
capitalized
the supreme personification of evil often represented as the ruler of hell
the Devil is traditionally seen as a being who relentlessly tempts people to commit evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in demon
an evil spirit
acted as if possessed by some devil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in man
a member of the human race
that poor devil never did achieve his dream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person
why, you little devil!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
he's a devil to everyone he does business with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to torment
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of devil
Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Also called devil's snare, the plant's seeds, roots, stems, and leaves are all dangerous if ingested.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
The Courier-Journal, 5 Apr. 2023
It’s also designed to better accommodate female astronauts, a problem that has deviled the space agency in the past.
—Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for devil
Noun
Other propaganda compared Native people to buffalo, cats, dogs, and devils.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Also called devil's snare, the plant's seeds, roots, stems, and leaves are all dangerous if ingested.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Starters: baby iceberg wedge lettuce; burrata cheese with prosciutto ham, balsamic reduction and micro basil; pimento cheese deviled eggs with Kentucky chow-chow and mixed greens; baked crab cake served over bib lettuce with Julienne apples and smoky garlic aioli; soup de jour.
—The Courier-Journal, 5 Apr. 2023
It’s also designed to better accommodate female astronauts, a problem that has deviled the space agency in the past.
—Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 16 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for devil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devil
Noun
-
The Comedy Central series' new episode, which aired Wednesday, continued its season-long thread of mocking Trump and depicting him in a romantic relationship with Satan.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The show continues to run with its gag of depicting Trump with comically small genitals and as Satan’s lover.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Barred from his high school basketball team due to his temper, a hot-head, street-baller battles demons from his past and present to earn a spot on a summer league team and his last shot at a college basketball scholarship.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Rodriguez-Singh called Noel evil and a demon, police have said.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Five of the eight people arrested in connection with last year's Esparto explosion, which killed seven men, were arraigned in Yolo County court on Monday.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
One man does it and the other becomes obsessed with figuring out how; then the dynamic reverses itself.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The same is true for other mammals such as monkeys and mice.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Huyghe sourced the monkey from Tokyo, where it had been trained to work as a server in a restaurant.—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Design There’s a reason James Bond villains chase 007’s Aston Martin in fleets of black Defenders.—
John Scott Lewinski,
Robb Report,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Wagner had only occasional presence and went MIA for awhile, coming across as a shady character and a possible villain who was set up as a potential love interest for Morgan early on.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His father was the fourth generation in a long line of gentlemen ranchers—weekend cowboys who’d made their fortune in Austin as attorneys for large oil companies, but whose identity was still tied to the thousands of acres that the family owned near Marfa.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Like cowboy butter, these are so aromatic too, and that little bit of punch from the mustard is great.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), against the backdrop of 1920s Montana.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Madigan's Aunt Gladys emerges as the movie's primary villain and torments characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and child star Cary Christopher throughout the film.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
It’s been three years since Spoon’s last album, Lucifer on the Sofa.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Griffin’s other credits include The Bad Guy, Jersey Boys, Lucifer and S.W.A.T., to name just a few.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devil. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
