bedevil
verb
be·dev·il
bi-ˈde-vəl 
bē-
bedeviled; bedeviling; bedevils
1
: to possess with or as if with a devil
2
: to cause distress : trouble
3
: to change for the worse : spoil
4
: to confuse utterly
Synonyms
Examples of bedevil in a Sentence
The theory bedevils scientists, none of whom have been able to prove it true or false.
The project has been bedeviled by problems since its inception.
Recent Examples on the Web
Since its independence from British colonial rule in 1947, India has been bedeviled by many separatist insurgencies.
—
Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2023
Politics in Brief 2024 election: After his attention-grabbing performance in the first GOP presidential debate, Vivek Ramaswamy faces a challenge that has bedeviled previous presidential candidates.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 29 Aug. 2023
The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of year-over-year inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index, has now fallen to 3 percent this year from about 7 percent last June — easing the pressure on Mr. Biden from the economic problem that has bedeviled his presidency thus far.
—Ben Casselman, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2023
The challenge of doing multiple drafts in order to get paid for a first draft has bedeviled newbie writers and screenwriting legends alike, including such icons as Robert Towne, William Goldman, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023
Latu said he could become bedeviled by the details.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 13 Aug. 2023
The upshot was that inflation continued to show signs of seriously receding after two years of rapid price increases that have bedeviled policymakers and burdened shoppers — and the details of the July report offered positive hints for the future.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up The upshot was that inflation continued to show signs of seriously receding after two years of rapid price increases that have bedeviled policymakers and burdened shoppers — and the details of the July report offered positive hints for the future.
—Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
Alice’s Suzie is a professional midwife and the stalwart head of a South Central family bedevilled by Danny Glover’s Southern caller, a friend from her family’s long-ago past.
—Hazlitt, 9 Aug. 2023
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Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2023
Politics in Brief 2024 election: After his attention-grabbing performance in the first GOP presidential debate, Vivek Ramaswamy faces a challenge that has bedeviled previous presidential candidates.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 29 Aug. 2023
The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of year-over-year inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index, has now fallen to 3 percent this year from about 7 percent last June — easing the pressure on Mr. Biden from the economic problem that has bedeviled his presidency thus far.
—Ben Casselman, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2023
The challenge of doing multiple drafts in order to get paid for a first draft has bedeviled newbie writers and screenwriting legends alike, including such icons as Robert Towne, William Goldman, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023
Latu said he could become bedeviled by the details.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 13 Aug. 2023
The upshot was that inflation continued to show signs of seriously receding after two years of rapid price increases that have bedeviled policymakers and burdened shoppers — and the details of the July report offered positive hints for the future.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up The upshot was that inflation continued to show signs of seriously receding after two years of rapid price increases that have bedeviled policymakers and burdened shoppers — and the details of the July report offered positive hints for the future.
—Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
Alice’s Suzie is a professional midwife and the stalwart head of a South Central family bedevilled by Danny Glover’s Southern caller, a friend from her family’s long-ago past.
—Hazlitt, 9 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bedevil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near bedevil
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedevil. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
bedevil
verb
be·dev·il
bi-ˈdev-əl
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