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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
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The demand for devious domains to successfully trick users has never been higher.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Are these self-help messages — which more young males need to learn — merely gateway drugs to more devious worldviews?
—Andrew Reiner, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2025
Freshly tossed into a private Catholic high school by his devout mother, John falls head over heels for a devious classmate ready to push his faith (and morals) to the brink with a series of increasingly uncomfortable actions, all in the name of love.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devious
Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devious. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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devious
adjective
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