devilish
adjective
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In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, Satan is usually referred to as diabolos or “slanderer” (from the Greek verb diaballein, “to slander,” literally “to throw across”). But in the Greek New Testament, the Hebrew word, which is Satanas or Satan in its Greek form, is used as if it were the devil’s proper name. The older Latin translations of the Bible retain Greek diabolos as diabolus, but St. Jerome’s version, the Vulgate, calls the devil Satan. Both words were borrowed into Old English, and we now call this figure both Satan and the Devil. The derived form devilish first appears in the 15th century.
Synonyms
Examples of devilish in a Sentence
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
The devilish logic of Finlandization is that the concessions are often mutually committing.
—Vance Chang, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2010
Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert brought their very frank and very funny Good vs. Evil show to the Bay Area over the weekend, and — if the number of arch comments and F-bombs coming from, yes, Ripert, were any indication — the devilish Bourdain side is winning out.
—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 8 June 2024
Tucked away in Bethnal Green, this spot is more about charm than alarm, despite the devilish name.
—Brad Japhe, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 May 2024
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“Devilish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devilish. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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devilish
adjective
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