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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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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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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Environmental stressors can include insufficient water, high temperatures, excessive moisture and/or nitrogen, severe pruning, or root damage.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
O’Hara was an outsider brought in with a mandate to reform the police department after the 2020 killing of George Floyd, which led to federal and state investigative findings of excessive force and racist policing practices.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Her friends would deal with maladies as diverse as pill addiction and demonic possession.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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In other words, this is basically a demonic-possession story, albeit one without any actual demons; at one point, Nikki briefly starts moving backward for no reason.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Like tapping into that mischievous kid in me.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
-
There on the screen, staring back at me, are two gigantic black eyes and a mischievous smile stitched on a massive, crocheted head — features of the mysterious, endlessly cheeky mask that has become Chuyin’s signature.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Understanding these unexpected auroras could improve forecasts of dangerous space weather, which can disrupt satellites, GPS systems, communications and even power grids during extreme solar storms.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 May 2026
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Most of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge lies at least 2,500 meters below the sea, where extreme pressure keeps volcanic gases from expanding and limits eruptions to quiet outpourings of lava.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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As the game progresses, Mina slowly becomes aware of some negative side effects from these generators and the sinister actions being taken to cover up those effects.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2026
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The sordid tale of the Murdaughs unfolded in the public eye during a boom in true crime media, when actual instances of death and deception could hardly keep up with the demand for packaging and repackaging sinister stories of shocking human behavior.—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Known for creating wicked political satires like Veep and The Thick of It, Iannucci is currently competing on Taskmaster.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
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Farrell was impressed by Ayala, who displayed a wicked slider and changed speeds.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson rejected the defense’s claims that Gilbert was legally insane.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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The feminine style looks like a ballet flat but is just as comfortable as a sneaker—hence its insane appeal.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
25 May 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 1 Jun. 2026.
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