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The "Lost" History of Devious
If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking—the word derives from the Latin adjective devius, itself formed from the prefix de- ("from" or "away") and the noun via ("way"). When devious was first used in the 16th century, it implied a literal wandering off the way, suggesting something that meandered or had no fixed course (as in "a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that had left the right path metaphorically rather than literally, or to describe deceitful rather than straightforward behavior.
Examples of devious in a Sentence
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The ensemble includes Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell, Riley Keough, Lukas Gage, Tracy Letts, Pamela Anderson, and Elena Anaya — and a new clip shared by Mubi, which is repping sales on the film at the festival, offers a devious taste of the drama.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2026
The last of the five is the most devious.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Harriet Walter has a nice scene as the Prime Minister hatching her own devious political plan.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devious
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devious. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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devious
adjective
