Crossword Dictionary
devil
devil, fiend, demon, daemon, daimon - n
an evil supernatural being
Satan, Old Nick, Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the Tempter, Prince of Darkness - n
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
A devil is profoundly bad spirit, being, or monster. Your religious uncle might blame all bad behavior on the influence of the devil.
In Christianity, the devil (which is sometimes capitalized), is the essence of evil, also known as Satan. The word is also used to mean a very hateful or cruel human: "He must be a devil, to hurt a kitten like that," or sometimes a mischievous trickster: "What a little devil she is, always playing practical jokes." When you devil someone, you annoy or bother them: "We loved to devil the cranky old man next door."
etymology
Old English deofol "a devil, a subordinate evil spirit afflicting humans;" also, in Christian theology, "the Devil, a powerful spirit of evil otherwise known as Satan," from Late Latin diabolus (also the source of Italian diavolo, French diable, Spanish diablo; German Teufel is Old High German tiufal, from Latin via Gothic diabaulus).
- BADEGG
- BADNEWS
- BLACKGUARD
- BLACKSHEEP
- CHARLATAN
- CHEAT
- CONFIDENCEMAN
- CONMAN
- COUNTERFEIT
- CRIMINAL
- CROOK
- DESERTER
- ENFANTTERRIBLE
- FAKER
- FRAUD
- HOOLIGAN
- HYPOCRITE
- IMPOSTOR
- INVEIGLER
- KNAVE
- LOWLIFE
- MECHANIC
- MISCHIEF
- MISCREANT
- MONSTROSITY
- MOUNTEBANK
- NEERDOWELL
- OUTLAW
- PHONY
- PRETENDER
- PROBLEM
- QUACK
- RACKETEER
- RAPSCALLION
- RASCAL
- REPROBATE
- ROGUE
- SCAMP
- SCOUNDREL
- SHAM
- SHARK
- SWINDLER
- TRAITOR
- TRICKSTER
- VILLAIN