bedeviling

adjective

be·​dev·​il·​ing bi-ˈde-və-liŋ How to pronounce bedeviling (audio)
bē-
Synonyms of bedevilingnext
: causing trouble, distress, or confusion : vexing
a bedeviling variety of options
… space can be as bedeviling as time.— Thomas Mallon
… the bedeviling phenomenon known as lower back pain.— Alfred Meyer
bedevilingly adverb
… had developed a keen sense of how bedevilingly hard it was to control the boisterous energies released by the American Revolution. — Joseph J. Ellis

Examples of bedeviling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Offices continue to be plagued by high vacancy rates (20.1% in this year’s third quarter, per Moody’s), the bedeviling result of the work-from-home mindset that the pandemic created. — Larry Light, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 The big picture: Low turnout has been a bedeviling problem in Cleveland, where only 23% of eligible voters cast ballots in this year's primary. — Sam Allard, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedeviling was in 1881

Rhymes for bedeviling

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bedeviling
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Cite this Entry

“Bedeviling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedeviling. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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