1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
that's a devilish amount of bad luck for any person to have to endure
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a devilish plan to sabotage the other party's political convention
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3
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a devilish grin that told us he was up to something
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devilish
Many people believed that faeries were capable of all sorts of wicked tricks: Stealing babies or children and replacing them with changelings, making devilish bargains, trapping people in the Otherworld for eternity.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Crosswinds — which many players have described as one of Royal Troon’s most devilish challenges — make that practice particularly difficult.
—Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
As the tides of fortune spin, so does the boat, allowing lightning designer Kevin Adams to spotlight specific occupants in ghostly green, devilish red, and soft sunrise hues.
—EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Cooper's fighting talk is part of Leicester's new combative off-field approach
Confidence.
—New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devilish 
Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Crosswinds — which many players have described as one of Royal Troon’s most devilish challenges — make that practice particularly difficult.
—Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
As the tides of fortune spin, so does the boat, allowing lightning designer Kevin Adams to spotlight specific occupants in ghostly green, devilish red, and soft sunrise hues.
—EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The joy of Aston Villa's devilish left-sided attacks Cooper's fighting talk is part of Leicester's new combative off-field approach
Confidence.
—New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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According to Mock, your professional maid service will not have the proper tools to safely remove excessive mold issues.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
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Comedian and actress Amy Schumer announced last year that she was diagnosed with the rare hormonal disorder, Cushing’s syndrome, which is characterized by excessive production of cortisol.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As was common for the times, many blamed the sudden outbreak on witchcraft or demonic possessions.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
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Written and directed by Clive Barker in his directorial debut, Hellraiser sees a woman try to banish a sadistic group of demonic beings back to their own dimension after inadvertently releasing from a mysterious puzzle box.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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About 24 hours later, the mischievous feline found her forever home.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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That fierce jaw, those full lips, the upper one bowed and sweet — at odds with the mischievous grin tugging at its corners.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The more extreme Noah (Taz Skylar) wants to shed blood.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Feb. 2025
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In participating in those extreme acts, Saha said, people fall victim to a group psychology that both permits and encourages more extreme behavior.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Her decision to give her baby up for adoption exposes the sinister dealings of Dagmar Overbye (Trine Dyrholm), the female Danish serial killer whose true-life murder of dozens of children in the 1910s inspired the film.—
Brande Victorian,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Feb. 2025
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The instrumental is decidedly sinister, and his vocals sound eerily similar to Michael’s.—
Matthew Ismael Ruiz,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Are people born wicked, or is wickedness thrust upon them?—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
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Cancer had snatched his leg with a wicked arm tackle.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Your voice is insane.—
Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com,
al,
4 Apr. 2023
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The Republican and right-wing reaction is just insane.—
Michael Tomasky,
The New Republic,
31 Mar. 2023
Adjective
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Mike was a Sagittarius: adventurous, open-minded, playful, spontaneous, and reluctant to commit to anything.—
Erika W. Smith,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
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At the beginning of the shoot, the team was in a good mood and almost playful.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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