devout

adjective

de·​vout di-ˈvau̇t 

1

: committed or devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises

a devout Catholic

2

: expressing piety or religious fervor : expressing devotion

a devout attitude

3

a

: devoted to a pursuit, belief, or mode of behavior : serious, earnest

a devout baseball fan

born a devout coward

—G. B. Shaw

b

: warmly sincere

a devout wish for peace

devoutly adverb

devoutness noun

Synonyms of devout

• loyal
• staunch
• steadfast
• faithful
• devoted
• true
• dedicated

Examples of devout in a Sentence

It is his devout wish to help people in need.

devout Red Sox fans never lost faith during the long World Series drought

Recent Examples on the Web

Musk has his own army of devout followers, too, but the difference is that Musk is constantly miserable, alienating even some of his own followers with his extreme takes. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 July 2026

While Auguste and two of Damien’s older sisters, Eugenie and Pauline, were being prepared for religious service by devout Anne-Catherine, Frans wanted Jozef for the farm. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

The film unfolds in a devout fishing community on Malaysia’s East Coast, following two young lovers, Jani and Melur, whose plans for the future are upended by an unplanned pregnancy, poverty and addiction, pushing Jani toward the drug trade. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 July 2026

Before the World Cup, only the most devout geographer or soccer fan would recognize Cape Verde’s name and colors. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin devotus, from Latin, past participle of devovēre — see devote

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for devout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• dropout
• dugout

Kids Definition

devout

adjective

de·​vout di-ˈvau̇t 

1

: devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises

2

: expressing devotion

a devout attitude

3

a

: devoted to an activity, belief, or type of behavior

a devout baseball fan

b

: earnest entry 2 sense 1, sincere

gave them devout thanks

devoutly adverb

devoutness noun