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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a devilish grin that told us he was up to something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of devilish
Like the frenzied conductor of a runaway train, Jack Nicholson and his devilish smile drive it all.
—
EW.com, 23 May 2025
Even for those who have managed to avoid the pull of the devilish smirk of a Labubu, there’s always a growing fan base attempting to turn them to the dark side.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Florez Said Combs Had ‘devilish Stare’ After Altercation Israel Florez, then a security guard at the Los Angeles hotel where Combs attacked ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 in an incident captured on surveillance cameras, testified first at the trial.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
As the devilish Rusty Ryan, Brad Pitt is rarely seen without a snack in hand.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devilish
EW.com, 23 May 2025
Even for those who have managed to avoid the pull of the devilish smirk of a Labubu, there’s always a growing fan base attempting to turn them to the dark side.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Florez Said Combs Had ‘devilish Stare’ After Altercation Israel Florez, then a security guard at the Los Angeles hotel where Combs attacked ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 in an incident captured on surveillance cameras, testified first at the trial.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
As the devilish Rusty Ryan, Brad Pitt is rarely seen without a snack in hand.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
-
Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism that has strained the city’s infrastructure and services for years, will protest the wedding over concerns its scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
According to Mock, your professional maid service will not have the proper tools to safely remove excessive mold issues.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
In this new adventure, players will face a vast and brutal conflict where demonic forces, warlords, and opportunistic factions clash for control.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
13 June 2025
-
The members of my party have the gall to request several of these demonic items from the livid waiter.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
View More On the cover, a young Chenier holds a 25-pound accordion the length of his torso, a big, mischievous smile on his face.—
Reya Hart,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2025
-
Next, Negan saw Annie… and Joshua (whose smile was as mischievous as we’d been told).—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
The introduction of factory manufacturing in the developing world helped to lift over a billion people out of extreme poverty.—
Tony Morley,
National Review,
17 June 2025
-
Eric Dane is prepared to go to extreme measures to fight ALS.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
Mitchell returned to the family’s Salt Lake City home months later with sinister intentions.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
8 June 2025
-
Picking from hundreds of hours of original, low-budget TV ads, Glassman tells the sinister tale of two restaurants battling it out in the town of Westridge County.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
That’s 663 days between pitching appearances – and 663 days since fans caught a glimpse of his wicked four-seam fastball and splitter.—
Julia Andersen,
CNN Money,
16 June 2025
-
To its credit, Seattle responded strongly after the break and pulled one back when Cristian Roldan’s header took a wicked deflection and snuck into the Botafogo net.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The brown leather exterior means it can be dressed up with office clothes while its size and woven design are playful enough to work with casual looks like Birkenstocks, a tee, and loose jeans.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
6 June 2025
-
Working with other young rappers—peers, not big brothers—yielded a looser, more playful Wayne who got to test his dexterity over popular instrumentals of the early aughts.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share