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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilishness
  1. mischief
  2. playfulness
  3. devilment
  4. mischievousness
  5. wickedness
Noun
  • Thankfully Norton didn’t just avoid doing himself a mischief, but won the competition by staying on the the longest.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Monster recasts Abby, played with wonderful mischief by Rebecca Hall, as a bitter woman on the brink.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of mischief
Noun
  • By ditching all-wheel drive for pure rear-wheel drive, VW is hoping driving dynamics, tactile steering feedback and chassis playfulness means more to modern buyers than raw neck-snapping speed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There is romance and melancholy, playfulness and despair, all happening at once.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 17 Sep. 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
  • Instead, Audi has built something that works remarkably well as everyday transportation while keeping a substantial reserve of mischievousness for those moments when an empty stretch of road appears.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of mischievousness
Noun
  • Miller was bold, having learned of life’s wickedness at an early age.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 25 July 2026
  • 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
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
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Cite this Entry

“Devilishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilishness. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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