1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
that's a devilish amount of bad luck for any person to have to endure
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a devilish plan to sabotage the other party's political convention
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a devilish grin that told us he was up to something
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilish
Holding viewers by the throat for a handful of strong beats, even as the script slips through the entire cast’s fingers, the devilish actor sells Besson’s interpretation on charisma and cunning.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Sennecke has only taken his first step and doesn’t display Perry’s devilish side or his accidentally-on-purpose way of distracting goalies.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, the shattering beauty of the music is sometimes swallowed in the devilish din.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Send Help is the first movie gem of 2026, a devilish treat and welcome respite from the real world.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Sennecke has only taken his first step and doesn’t display Perry’s devilish side or his accidentally-on-purpose way of distracting goalies.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, the shattering beauty of the music is sometimes swallowed in the devilish din.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Send Help is the first movie gem of 2026, a devilish treat and welcome respite from the real world.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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The federal government's warning about the dangers of excessive screen time is sending shockwaves through households and classrooms alike, drawing comparisons to public health crises of the past.—
La'Tasha Givens,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
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Social media users have documented taking excessive amounts of diphenhydramine in an attempt to overcome the medication's drowsy effects and experience a euphoric feeling.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Is Nikki possessed by an evil, demonic version of herself intent on punishing Bear for his mistake?—
Emma Stefansky,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
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The first Conjuring film helped launch a billion-dollar franchise with a winning formula for modern-day horror, combining demonic spirits, jump scares, and a chilling based-on-a-true-story hook.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Former keepers who visited on May 13 said the 2-year-old has bonded with surrogate mother Fredrika and developed a playful, mischievous personality.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
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His mustache is graying, but his eyes remain mischievous.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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However, rather than moving in any extreme direction, Korkmaz said the Turkish mill is seeing demand for realistic pieces combined with stronger finishes, bolder aesthetics and more attitude.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
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Trump has opened our eyes to the consequences of extreme greed, corruption, cruelty, and utter disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Firth is chilling, pushing his stern, fiercely intelligent demeanor in increasingly sinister directions and bringing nuance and gravity to the lengths Scanlon will go to fulfill his mandate, whatever the cost.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
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The supernatural psychological horror, written and helmed by Aster, follows a family rocked by grief, who begins to experience sinister and inexplicable occurrences.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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Spark, who was born in 1918 and died in 2006, had a talent for writing wicked little books that defy easy categorization; her coming-of-age stories feel like horror stories, her horror stories feel like love stories, and her love stories feel like acid satire.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
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But after Sophie’s father dies, she’s forced to become a maid herself by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Rivians aren’t alone in the realm of insane reports of repair costs.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
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The whole thing is kind of insane.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Both courses had diabolical pin placements that turned into absolute nightmares.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
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As a result, even with better production wrinkles, some exciting challenge tweaks, and some brilliantly diabolical moves by Jesse, the season itself felt a bit snoozy and lacking in huge, iconic moments (outside of the Cody blindside, of course).—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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