Synonyms of devious

devious

adjective

ˈdē-vē-əs 

1

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means

we always left it to our most devious friends to find out the latest information

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• cute
• subtle
• slick
• fraudulent
• deceptive
• dishonest
• wily
• scheming
• treacherous
• sly
• crooked
• shrewd
• crafty
• artful
• guileful
• tricky
• designing
• beguiling
• deceitful
• cagey
• foxy
• shady
• dodgy
• slippery
• calculating
• unscrupulous
• sneaky
• Machiavellian
• astute
• underhanded
• sharp
• covert
• clandestine
• shifty
• plotting
• knavish
• underhand
• oblique
• glib
• undercover
• hypocritical
• serpentine
• circuitous
• circular
• insincere
• facile
• secret
• roundabout
• surreptitious
• stealthy
• furtive
• backhanded
• insinuating
• concealed
• two-faced
• mealy
• double-dealing
• smooth-tongued
• mealymouthed
• left-handed
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ingenuous
• innocent
• obvious
• guileless
• artless
• plain
• simple
• public
• real
• open
• sincere
• straightforward
• honest
• forthright
• outspoken
• direct
• frank
• natural
• candid
• unconcealed
• unsophisticated
• unpretentious
• unaffected
• childlike
• patent
• unvarnished
• aboveboard
• unpretending
• impressionable
• unworldly
• simpleminded
• undesigning
• unstudied
• plainspoken
• trusting
• unforced
• trustful

2

as in twisted

marked by a long series of irregular curves

a devious trail through the swampland

Synonyms & Similar Words

• twisted
• winding
• curved
• twisting
• curving
• serpentine
• crooked
• tortuous
• sinuous
• crazy
• windy
• bending
• curvy
• curled
• jagged
• curling
• circuitous
• coiled
• indirect
• spiral
• zigzag
• coiling
• uneven
• swirling
• spiraling
• circling
• roundabout
• looping
• zigzagging
• rambling
• wandering
• meandering
• corkscrew
• irregular

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straight
• direct
• linear
• straightaway

3

as in unnatural

departing from some accepted standard of what is normal

her behavior is devious because of a developmental disorder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unnatural
• abnormal
• unusual
• irregular
• deviant
• uncommon
• atypical
• anomalous
• aberrant
• odd
• extraordinary
• deviate
• untypical
• eccentric
• bizarre
• aberrational
• funny
• strange
• curious
• unconventional
• weird
• peculiar
• remarkable
• unrepresentative
• quirky
• wacky
• rare
• idiosyncratic
• kinky
• outlandish
• screwy
• quaint
• unwonted
• preternatural
• out-of-the-way
• freakish
• unorthodox
• outré
• wild
• queer
• way-out
• far-out
• nonconformist
• uncustomary
• queerish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• typical
• normal
• natural
• regular
• common
• standard
• ordinary
• familiar
• usual
• commonplace
• routine
• everyday
• customary
• unremarkable
• characteristic
• run-of-the-mill
• unexceptional
• average
• archetypal
• workaday
• run-of-the-mine
• representative
• wonted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of devious

Jeremy Strong is very good at playing devious men with very deep pockets. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026

While some believe that Trump is merely the conduit for devious legal advisors, his legal advisors say otherwise, giving Trump the credit for pushing them to try unorthodox angles. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 9 June 2026

Whatever Rip and Beth’s plans may be for the 10-Petal — and no matter how much Beulah seems to be onboard, for her own devious reasons — don’t expect the younger Jacksons to play along nicely. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 5 June 2026

Interruptions can also be undertaken by AI with a more devious intention. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 June 2026

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