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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
Robert A. Strong, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
Steller’s jays are more than a little bit devious, using their ability to mimic hawk calls to gain an advantage over a food source.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025
Gellar played Merteuil, the wealthy, popular and devious Upper East Sider.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Yet the movie works by toying with our sympathies in devious and unpredictable ways.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Aug. 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 13 Sep. 2025.
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devious
adjective
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