devil Meaning & Definition
What Does Devil Mean?
Devil is used as a proper noun meaning The chief devil; Satan. As a noun, it means An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. As a verb, it means To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
Devil in Brief
| Part of speech | proper noun, noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈdɛvəl// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | fiend, demon and monster |
| Antonyms | God, angel and conscience |
| Plural | devils |
| Verb forms | devils, and past participle |
Devil Definition (Proper Noun)
- The chief devil; Satan.
Devil as a Noun
- An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.
- A man with red or orange skin and a pair of horns on his head, a pointed goatee, and a long tail, who carries a pitchfork, represents evil, and is portrayed to children as a boogeyman who punishes bad behavior.
- The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
- A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
- A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
That math problem was a devil.
- Hell.
What in the devil is that?
- A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
- A printer's assistant.
- A poltergeist that haunts printing works.
- A lawyer’s assistant.
- A dust devil.
- A barren, unproductive and unused area.
devil strip
- A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
- A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc., as used in the production of mungo or shoddy.
- A Tasmanian devil.
- An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated.
- Ellipsis of devil seam (“the seam between garboard strake and the keel, on wooden boats”).
Devil as a Verb
- To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
- To annoy or bother.
- To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
- To ghostwrite; to author while working as a ‘devil’.
- To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy:
(Can we verify this sense?) To finely grind (cooked ham or other meat) with spices and condiments.
To prepare (shelled halved boiled eggs, as a sidedish) by removing the yolks, adding condiments and spices to them, and placing that mixture back into (the halved eggs' whites) to be served.
She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
- (Can we verify this sense?) To finely grind (cooked ham or other meat) with spices and condiments.
- To prepare (shelled halved boiled eggs, as a sidedish) by removing the yolks, adding condiments and spices to them, and placing that mixture back into (the halved eggs' whites) to be served.
She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
- To shred fabric into its fibres for recycling, as in the production of mungo or shoddy.
Noun
- An evil creature.
- (with article) The chief devil; Satan.
- A fictional image of a man, usually red or orange in skin color; with a set of horns on his head, a pointed goatee and a long tail and carrying a pitchfork; that represents evil and portrayed to children in an effort to discourage bad behavior.
- (with an article, as an intensifier) Hell.
She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
- (Christian Science) An evil or erring entity.
- (in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area.
devil strip
- A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
Verb
- To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy:
Synonyms of Devil
Antonyms of Devil
Devil in a Sentence
The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
That math problem was a devil.
What in the devil is that?
What the devil is that?
She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
You can go to the devil for all I care.
devil strip
She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
Word Forms & Grammar
the devil
devil (plural devils)
devil (third-person singular simple present devils, present participle (US) deviling or (UK) devilling, simple past and past participle (US) deviled or (UK) devilled)
Words That Rhyme With Devil
Origin of Devil
From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Saterland Frisian Düüwel (“devil”), West Frisian duvel (“devil”), Dutch duivel, duvel (“devil”), German Low German Düvel (“devil”), German Teufel (“devil”), Bavarian Teifl (“devil”), Danish djævel (“devil”), Swedish djävul (“devil”) (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). Doublet of diable, diablo, and diabolus. Not related to evil.
How to Pronounce Devil
You say devil as //ˈdɛvəl//. It has 1 syllable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Devil
Is devil a proper noun or a noun?
Devil is mainly used as a proper noun, but it can also be used as a noun and a verb.
What is another word for devil?
You can replace devil with words such as fiend, demon and monster. See the full list of devil synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of devil?
Antonyms of devil include God, angel, conscience and saint.
What is the plural of devil?
The plural of devil is devils.
What is the past tense of devil?
The past tense of devil is and past participle.