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
Director Ryan Coogler's innovative vampire action movie stars Michael B. Jordan as the twin brothers who come up against a devilish force played with malice by Jack O'Connell.
—
Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
That’s not all from Blumhouse, thanks to the sumptuous Sleep Awake, which combines A Nightmare on Elm Street with Control, Still Wakes the Deep, and plenty of other devilish influences.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Instead of giving a speech about why Chicken George should use the Veto to save him, season 2 winner Dr. Will Kirby took the opportunity to famously shade his fellow all-star houseguests in an eloquent, devilish speech, which elicited giggles and confusion from the rest of the players.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 5 July 2025
The season finale of Marvel Television’s Ironheart introduced — at long last, after four-and-a-half years of teases — the devilish baddie that is Mephisto, as played by Sacha Baron Cohen.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
That’s not all from Blumhouse, thanks to the sumptuous Sleep Awake, which combines A Nightmare on Elm Street with Control, Still Wakes the Deep, and plenty of other devilish influences.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Instead of giving a speech about why Chicken George should use the Veto to save him, season 2 winner Dr. Will Kirby took the opportunity to famously shade his fellow all-star houseguests in an eloquent, devilish speech, which elicited giggles and confusion from the rest of the players.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 5 July 2025
The season finale of Marvel Television’s Ironheart introduced — at long last, after four-and-a-half years of teases — the devilish baddie that is Mephisto, as played by Sacha Baron Cohen.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
-
Hot days tax the body greatly and if your body is not up to the challenge, excessive environmental heat can result in severe injury and even death.—
Bryant Stamford,
The Courier-Journal,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Private equity can have expensive structures, excessive fees, long lock-up periods, and valuations that are notoriously stale—making liquidity (getting money out), and performance (assessing the actual performance) more opaque for investors.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Warrens are also famous for their investigation of a haunted house in Amityville, NY, and the 1980s Connecticut poltergeist case based on a Warren case, in which demonic possession was used unsuccessfully as a defense in a murder trial.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Both characters are playable for specific levels or intervals within a single stage, but primarily they’re fused together (by demonic ninja magic!), making the bulk of their capabilities available at once.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
With the help of Michał, a fellow school outcast, Hania encounters Sindri—a mischievous pixie living in the nearby forest—who vows to aid them.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Lacy maintains a mischievous relationship with social media.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The costs of extreme weather, supply chain disruptions, and falling labor productivity are all visible on the horizon, with ample academic research to back them up.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The danger will remain at very high or extreme levels during the weekend and Monday, days when the heatwave affecting us since the beginning of the month continues.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For The Fin, his team worked to make the dim light extra grainy, giving it a particularly sinister quality.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
-
This turns out to be another name for Galactus, a surprisingly scary Marvel villain played with sinister sincerity by Ralph Ineson.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
There's no rest for the wicked in Ligue 1 as Lens prepares to open another campaign in the French top flight at home to Lyon on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Not since the days of Gossip Girl, the deliciously wicked mid-2000s teen television drama, has New York City's Upper East Side been a spot for the cool kids.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
-
If 51% of the population is being so underserved, the ratio to opportunity is insane.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For a playful yet sweet date night scent, Ledda’s 16 Scenic Rose is a lovely choice.—
Sarah Boyd,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Other social media users also joined the conversation, adding playful comments to the thread started by the original person who uploaded the photos.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share