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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilish
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
Below, Park gets into the devilish debauchery of Mary Todd Lincoln.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Both of the above are essential to the show’s endgame, ensuring that a sequence of unhinged kickers ostensibly meant to be devilish fun instead come across as mean-spirited and exploitative.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
And the drinks really are devilish good.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Below, Park gets into the devilish debauchery of Mary Todd Lincoln.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Both of the above are essential to the show’s endgame, ensuring that a sequence of unhinged kickers ostensibly meant to be devilish fun instead come across as mean-spirited and exploitative.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
And the drinks really are devilish good.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Gubin said those weren’t excessive returns.—
Jordan Rau,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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May cause excessive bleeding (hemorrhage) if taken with blood thinners or supplements including ginkgo biloba or garlic.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Then the adult-centric interactive play gets demented — a bit demonic, even.—
Arts Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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The story centers on genius detective Holmes’ investigation into the deaths of members of the Baskerville family, supposedly at the hands of a demonic hound that walks the moors.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Play wants safe boundaries as mischievous Mercury conjoins imaginative Neptune in your 5th House of Creativity.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
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The Moon conjoins mischievous Mercury in your 5th House of Celebration, which invites you to engage in joyful self-expression.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Director Matt Pfeiffer tries not to tie it too strongly to an extreme light or dark mood but does keep up a snappy pace, plays most of the angriest outbursts for laughs and takes good advantage of the openness of the Playhouse on Park stage area.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
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While one extreme event is difficult to link directly to climate change, more frequent and intense extreme weather patterns fall within the scientific consensus on changing climate trends.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Chesnutt wasn’t alone in these sometimes sinister tones.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
21 Apr. 2026
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But then that progressive veneer is implicated in something deeply sinister.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This wicked man is named Tobias Thornhill.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
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In the original fairytale, the stepmother is portrayed as cold, self-serving and wicked, but Hochhauser recognized and uplifted a different version of the character.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Categorizing the plunge pool as TIO for something like a charity scramble or regular public play would be one thing, but to do so in a major championship with a purse of $9 million seems fundamentally wrong and also insane.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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The reception to your performance in the Rusical was insane.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Unwrapped from goopy bandages covered in Hieratic script dating back centuries, Katie (played at 16 with diabolical weirdness by Natalie Grace) looks more dead than alive.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
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So ChatGPT didn’t come up with a diabolical plan.—
Amanda Gefter,
Quanta Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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