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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The authors argued that the typical American diet contained excessive calories and fat and lacked sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
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This development enables high-performance batteries to function without the bulky pressurization hardware that often adds excessive weight and volume to electric vehicle battery packs.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For the priests, this was a case of demonic possession due to witch-craft, and Mary’s crabby, aloof neighbor Elizabeth Jackson was the prime witch suspect.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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Then the adult-centric interactive play gets demented — a bit demonic, even.—
Arts Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is a high-spirited opening for curious neighbors and travelers alike, with a mischievous sense of fun that firmly roots guests in their destination.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Typical pulsating aurora displays last 10 to 20 minutes, but Kerss had captured almost three hours of extreme pulsating auroras — an unusually powerful display and one of the longest on record, according to the statement.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Threats are growing from more extreme weather.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Upending age-old narrative traditions, Paul’s heroism takes a sinister turn when Herbert reveals that the Bene Gesserit, an Illuminati-like secretive order of psychic matriarchs, has long been conditioning the Fremen to expect the arrival of a messiah, or mahdi, in their native tongue.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
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This advertised butt jokes, campy fight montages and sinister Seth Rogen laughs.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The 23-year-old is said to be wicked smart, like Purdy, the 49ers star who led San Francisco to a Super Bowl less than two years after going last in the 2022 draft out of Iowa Sate.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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This wicked man is named Tobias Thornhill.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Or is there something more diabolical at play?—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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