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The "Lost" History of Devious
If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking—the word derives from the Latin adjective devius, itself formed from the prefix de- ("from" or "away") and the noun via ("way"). When devious was first used in the 16th century, it implied a literal wandering off the way, suggesting something that meandered or had no fixed course (as in "a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that had left the right path metaphorically rather than literally, or to describe deceitful rather than straightforward behavior.
Synonyms
Examples of devious in a Sentence
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Since its premiere in 2002, the competition show has become infamous for its devious production tactics.
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 26 June 2024
Speaking of summits, Kim met Putin for one in North Korea the other day, the images from which looked like a Stalinist fever dream, as reimagined by some devious twenty-first-century A.I.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
Rhaenyra’s devious uncle-husband, Daemon (Matt Smith), chafes under her cautious command.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for devious 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devious. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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devious
adjective
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