1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

devils 1 of 2

noun

plural of devil
1
as in demons
an evil spirit acted as if possessed by some devil

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in men
a member of the human race that poor devil never did achieve his dream

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in monkeys
an appealingly mischievous person why, you little devil!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in villains
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person he's a devil to everyone he does business with

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in daredevils
a person who seeks out very dangerous or foolhardy adventures with no apparent fear originally snowboarders were regarded as devils on the slopes and a menace to skiers

Synonyms & Similar Words

devils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of devil
as in torments

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 devils
Noun
Researchers have also documented the phenomenon in dogs, Tasmanian devils, and some kinds of clams and other shellfish. — Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 18 Aug. 2026 In 2025, two Tasmanian devils arrived at the Australian Outback exhibit. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026 Tasmanian devils suffer from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a highly fatal cancer spread by biting, which has devastated their population and surprisingly arose twice. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 The 152 rooms celebrate Tasmania’s cultural and creative spirit, from the contemporary paintings of thylacines and Tasmanian devils, to the Blackheart sassafras ceiling inlays. — Riley Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026 But there are lots of potential devils in the details (otherwise there’d be little need for experimental reactors). — ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026 Tasmanian devils — agile, mostly nocturnal animals that can roam for 10 miles in a single night — have been extinct on the Australian mainland for more than 3,000 years. — CBS News, 4 June 2026 Ash devils can hurl hot embers in all directions and spark new fires, but this one harmlessly dissipated without spreading the blaze further. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026 Other propaganda compared Native people to buffalo, cats, dogs, and devils. — Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devils
  1. demons
  2. men
  3. monkeys
  4. villains
  5. daredevils
  6. torments
  7. ghosts
  8. guys
Noun
  • Flashes of the underworld, Family Guy-style, ensue, with flames, skeletons, demons, a mariachi band and various forms of torture setting the mood.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026
  • There are references to demons, being burned alive, and the duende king explicitly commands his minions to kill Jo and Raissa.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of demons
Noun
  • The survey was conducted online in April among 1,200 men and women nationwide aged 15 to 69.
    — Masayuki Oi Japan News, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • That same year, MOCA canceled its annual gala amid controversy over a lack of diversity among former gala honorees — all straight white men.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of men
Noun
  • Long-range inhibitory neurons marked by the activity of these genes have been known for some time, based on studies in monkeys, but researchers couldn’t figure out how to manipulate them using these genes.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The monkeys were all given anesthetics and covered with sensors and probes that monitored their vitals.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of monkeys
Noun
  • The way it’s framed, both the heroes and the villains can only come from the tech community.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There aren’t any villains here, just young people making young people mistakes and older people making older people mistakes.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of villains
Noun
  • And then there are the daredevils who challenge fate, only to realize too late that nature does not bargain.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Riksgransen, population 60 (give or take), stands as Sweden’s northernmost ski resort, where adrenaline-seeking snowboarders and daredevils gather during the winter months for 360-degree heli-skiing.
    — Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of daredevils
Verb
  • That makes her next move, making the comms system emit a noise that torments the Andorian, that much easier to make.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Vava, Brazil vs Sweden, 1958 (second goal) Garrincha torments Sweden left-back Sven Axbom — not for the first time — and Vava is on hand to complete a carbon copy of his first goal.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of torments
Noun
  • Tara Badstubner explores why recent ghosts are (actually) haunting us.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The video has so many of Taylor’s favorite tropes—weddings that turn into a mess, metaphorically breaking glass, red wine spilling, mad women, chatty ghosts, symbolic houses.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • Willie Crawford is one of those guys who was good at a lot of things but not great at anything, and those types of players tend to be overlooked.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As the cameras zoom in on a fuming Jerry Jones and the guys in the booth note that the title drought is now in its 30th year, many of us at home will indulge in a little taste of schadenfreude.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of guys

Phrases Containing devils

Browse Nearby Words

devilry
devils
devious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devils. Accessed 30 Sep. 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 epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

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
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All