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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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
Prendergast, whose team discovered the devilish bee in the area, said the sighting of the insect shows the importance of understanding bees before their habitats are destroyed.
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Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Two places in particular, Darkroom and Pete’s Sunset Grille, are offering two different ways to party down in honor of the devilish holiday.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
The Hollywood actor’s devilish features and unmistakable crackling voice make for a pitch-perfect pair with Solnicki’s sardonic sensibility.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
The seven-piece lineup features a hero 30-pan palette, two lip kits, a highlighter trio, powder blush trio, mascara, and a devilish hand mirror to admire your artistry.
—Karina Hoshikawa, Refinery29, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devilish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devilish
Adjective
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Diane Nygaard, an Oceanside resident and representative of the nonprofit Preserve Calavera, said the developer’s request for 14 waivers of city development standards is excessive.—
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Shorter days and excessive time indoors?—
Adjective
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Two shows – Beetlejuice and Waiting For Godot – closed last week, with the demonic musical posting a big $311,282 gain over the previous week, taking in $1,373,691 and selling 96% of its seats.—
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Twin Peaks is a world rife with magic and mystery, filled with demonic possessions, time travel, parallel dimensions, and ritual sacrifice.—
Adjective
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Burnett pauses, considers the question, and then flashes a mischievous grin.—
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Dave, feeling mischievous, ushered them towards a window seat and what, on the face of it, seemed a prime spot.—
Adjective
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An extreme cold watch is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are possible.—
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Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Adjective
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Smallwood, less innately sinister as a performer, turns the part into a slow burn.—
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If Park’s film begins as another lament for our layoff-laden modern world, the South Korean director soon introduces a sinister twist.—
Adjective
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Park Chan-wook’s latest masterwork is a wicked comedy of capitalism and homicide.—
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So much so that a few of the most popular colorways sold out wicked fast.—
Adjective
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Or why roads and other critical infrastructure projects now take untold years and insane amounts of money to complete, and by the time they are finally opened are already rendered all but obsolete?—
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In this abjectly insane political environment that Minnesotans have created for themselves, the federal agent has about as much chance of a fair trial as the Vikings have of winning this year’s Super Bowl, which is to say, none.—
Adjective
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That, to me, was the simplest and the most diabolical part of the story.—
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In this diabolical satirical thriller, a millennial woman resorts to extreme measures to secure the million-dollar house of her dreams.—
Cite this Entry
“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devilish. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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