devilish
adjective
Did you know?
In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, Satan is usually referred to as diabolos or “slanderer” (from the Greek verb diaballein, “to slander,” literally “to throw across”). But in the Greek New Testament, the Hebrew word, which is Satanas or Satan in its Greek form, is used as if it were the devil’s proper name. The older Latin translations of the Bible retain Greek diabolos as diabolus, but St. Jerome’s version, the Vulgate, calls the devil Satan. Both words were borrowed into Old English, and we now call this figure both Satan and the Devil. The derived form devilish first appears in the 15th century.
Examples of devilish in a Sentence
Derek Lawrence, Vulture, 28 July 2025
Liam McNeeley’s eyes widened, preceding a devilish smirk.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2025
The sisters lean into their legacy of witchcraft to battle evil in the form of a devilish ex-boyfriend.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
Democrats are experiencing a devilish glee as MAGA World clashes over the Trump administration’s push to defuse conspiracy theories surrounding the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 9 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devilish. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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devilish
adjective
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