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
The girl kneeled on the floor before a colorful depiction of the Second Heavens, flowers in her hands and figurines of shapely beings with devilish heads surrounding her.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Perhaps Indecent Proposal presents the perfect path for how America can successfully woo and ultimately merge with Greenland, starting with an indecent and unwanted proposal, just the way Robert Redford’s handsomely devilish Gage does.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Well, Cumming, 59, isn't quite as devilish in real life.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Escola’s brazenly ahistorical Mary Todd is one of those devilish comic creations, such as Jiminy Glick or Pee-wee Herman, that seems less invented than sprung free, never to return.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Perhaps Indecent Proposal presents the perfect path for how America can successfully woo and ultimately merge with Greenland, starting with an indecent and unwanted proposal, just the way Robert Redford’s handsomely devilish Gage does.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Well, Cumming, 59, isn't quite as devilish in real life.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Escola’s brazenly ahistorical Mary Todd is one of those devilish comic creations, such as Jiminy Glick or Pee-wee Herman, that seems less invented than sprung free, never to return.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Meanwhile, excessive rainfall from the weekend storms has led to river and creek flooding in areas south and east of the Kansas City metro.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article The Aurora City Council at a meeting Tuesday is set to consider changes to the parking ordinance that police say will help with the excessive number of commercial vehicles being parked on city roads.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Directed by Jeremiah Kipp, the film is billed as a new chapter in the story that will expand on the game’s world and mythology, delving deeper into the lore of the demonic entities plaguing River Fields.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
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The film follows Mikey, whose night terrors become reality when his mother begins showing signs of demonic possession.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Isaacs appeared in the film series as the father of Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts student wizard who serves as a mischievous antagonist opposite Harry Potter (Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Grint), and Hermione Granger (Watson).—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The incident seemed to be an example of hazing or, if not, some sort of extreme prank, Fitzpatrick said.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
1 May 2025
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The price of coffee beans has already been rising due to crop losses from the extreme weather events of a changing climate, as well as geopolitical uncertainty.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Or, more likely, The Sentry is simply the benevolent mirror image of that shadowy, sinister entity that emerges after Bob Reynolds ingests a super serum.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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However, what was happening behind the scenes was more sinister than what the public thought.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Havoc brings the heat, throwing Tom Hardy's stony Walker into a hotbed of gangsters, dirty cops, corrupt elites, and wicked assassins.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Dafoe rocks an aerodynamic pompadour and wicked attitude as the leader of a biker gang who kidnaps a rock singer (Diane Lane) and has a showdown with her ex (Michael Paré).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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If 51% of the population is being so underserved, the ratio to opportunity is insane.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Johansson brings a playful, global sensibility to Greenlandic staples—using local ingredients like capelin and ptarmigan in ways that draw from both Asian and Mediterranean influences.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Once she’s done blending, her full glam results are stunning yet intriguing, with a playful feminine hue.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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