bedevil

verb

be·​dev·​il bi-ˈde-vəl How to pronounce bedevil (audio)
bē-
bedeviled; bedeviling; bedevils

transitive verb

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
bedevilment noun

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
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.
Stock market surges on Election Day Prices Inflation has bedeviled the U.S. for the past several years -- but in recent months price increases have slowed back down to a normal pace. Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024 Fraser was bedeviled by Elizabeth Hurley’s Beelzebub in Bedazzled (2000), earned career-best reviews for the Vietnam drama The Quiet American (2002), and landed a role in the Best Picture-winning Crash (2004). Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 26 Oct. 2024 Malone, in his interview with Moffett, noted that Europe’s largest TV players have held up against the same trends that are bedeviling the U.S. majors. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024 Wallace points out that many Satoshi investigators have been bedevilled by faulty pattern-matching, a particular vulnerability for those who have seized upon superficial stylistic similarities with unwarranted glee. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bedevil 

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedevil was in 1574

Dictionary Entries Near bedevil

Cite this Entry

“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedevil. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bedevil

verb
be·​dev·​il bi-ˈdev-əl How to pronounce bedevil (audio)
: to trouble or annoy again and again : pester, harass
bedeviled by problems
bedevilment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bedevil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!