as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
the children always concoct some sort of devilishness on Halloween
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilishness
Noun
-
For all the mortal mischief a nuclear weapons facility could whip up, there is very little radiation risk associated with the job of enriching uranium-235 up to the level of 90% purity needed to produce a bomb.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
24 June 2025 -
The suspects could face charges for criminal mischief and felony theft valued at $1 million or more, according to authorities.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
-
But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
Noun
-
May God bless the entire Trump administration with swift repentance from this wickedness.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
-
So long as Palestinians are violent Jew-hating savages, the conflict has nothing to do with Israeli occupation and all to do with the wickedness coursing through Palestinian blood.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Devilishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilishness. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share