devilishness

noun

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
  1. mischief
  2. playfulness
  3. devilment
  4. mischievousness
  5. wickedness
Noun
  • Neverson was charged with a felony count of second-degree mischief for an unrelated disturbance.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
  • In a nicely balanced performance, Alejandra Villanueva’s Mistress Quickly, the play’s go-between and overseer of mischief, embodies the free and easy spirit of Simon’s production.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of mischief
Noun
  • There is a heaviness and sorrow to that wise, ingenious goddess that obscured the character’s power and playfulness—a choice made by Nolan, no doubt to emphasize his dark themes.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • But Barley’s playfulness began to reemerge in May 2024, when a 4-day-old Pekin duckling named Louie arrived, thanks to a Facebook post from an elementary school teacher looking to rehome two ducklings.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 13 July 2026
Definition of playfulness
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
Definition of devilment
Noun
  • The tension latent in Jobim and Regina’s working relationship gives their rendition a mischievousness that’s sorely missed in the monotony of Art Garfunkel’s version, or the twee precision of Susannah McCorkle’s.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026
  • Social media users can’t get enough of Chico’s antics, as many lauded his mischievousness.
    — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of mischievousness
Noun
  • Max Cady should be an unsettling interruption, a man who undermines our ideas of right and wrong through his nonchalance about his own wickedness; here, the most unsettling thing about him are those teal contact lenses.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • On the day of Cal and John's Sabbath fight over Cal's hair, Reverend Rose delivers a sermon that focuses on wickedness and fear.
    — Paula Cooper, CBS News, 5 May 2026
Definition of wickedness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

devilishly
devilishness
devil-may-care
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devilishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilishness. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All