devil
devil — noun
1. A frightening creature from stories and old tales, usually shown with a pointed
A frightening creature from stories and old tales, usually shown with a pointed tail, two horns on its head, and red or black skin.
The old painting shows a devil with horns, a tail, and flames around his feet.
visual description of the folklore figure
In the story, the hero fights a devil that guards the entrance to a dark cave.
Mert dressed as a devil for the costume party, complete with a red cape and plastic trident.
The museum displayed a wooden statue of a devil with a grinning face and pointed ears.
- angel
a good spiritual being, often shown with wings and a halo
文法句型
the devil
a devil
2. Within the Christian and Jewish faiths, the supreme evil being who governs hell
Within the Christian and Jewish faiths, the supreme evil being who governs hell and ceaselessly seeks to turn humans away from God.
Diya's grandmother taught her that the Devil tempts people to lie and cheat.
the Devil as tempter in religious context
The church window shows a battle between God and the Devil painted in bright colours.
Some believers say prayers each evening to ask for protection from the Devil.
Christopher asked his priest whether the Devil could read human thoughts.
- God
the supreme being of goodness whom the Devil opposes
文法句型
the Devil
用法筆記
When referring to the supreme evil being in Christianity and Judaism, this sense is usually capitalised as 'the Devil' and treated as a proper noun. Lowercase 'devil' (sense 1) refers to the general folklore creature.
常見錯誤
3. A child or young person who is frequently disobedient, refuses to follow rules,
A child or young person who is frequently disobedient, refuses to follow rules, and creates small problems for adults.
Christopher's little brother is a real devil — he hid all the TV remotes under the sofa.
informal register: a real devil for a naughty child
Min told her three-year-old son to stop being a devil and put his shoes on for school.
The babysitter called the twins little devils after they poured flour all over the kitchen floor.
Xiu's nephew is a cheeky devil who draws on the walls with crayons every chance he gets.
- angel
used informally for a very well-behaved child
文法句型
a little devil
a real devil
用法筆記
Used playfully or with mild frustration, not with genuine anger. Often preceded by 'little' or 'real'. The synonym 'rascal' is gentler; 'brat' is harsher.
常見錯誤
4. Someone who gets excitement from behaving in ways that most people consider shoc
Someone who gets excitement from behaving in ways that most people consider shocking, risky, or socially improper.
Ezra is a bit of a devil — he once climbed onto the roof of the school at midnight.
phrase: a bit of a devil
Lara is a young devil who loves sneaking into old buildings to take photographs.
Come on, be a devil and order the chocolate cake — you deserve a treat after that exam.
Diya is such a devil that she once went skydiving without telling her parents until after she landed.
文法句型
a bit of a devil
be a devil
用法筆記
Usually carries a tone of playful admiration rather than real disapproval. The fixed phrase 'be a devil' is used to encourage someone to do something they are hesitant about.
5. A word placed after an adjective such as 'poor', 'lucky', or 'old' to describe a
A word placed after an adjective such as 'poor', 'lucky', or 'old' to describe a person and show the speaker's feeling about them, often sympathy, envy, or mild annoyance.
The poor devil waited in the rain for two hours before the bus finally arrived.
collocation: poor devil for expressing sympathy
Yasmin called her brother a lucky devil after he found a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk.
collocation: lucky devil for expressing envy
That old devil next door still mows his own lawn at eighty years of age.
The silly devil locked his keys inside the car and had to call a locksmith.
- fellow
neutral and less emotional; 'devil' adds colour and informality
文法句型
adjective + devil
用法筆記
Only used with a preceding adjective — 'poor devil', 'lucky devil', 'old devil', 'silly devil'. Without the adjective, the meaning shifts to another sense. The adjective carries the emotional colour; 'devil' itself is just a placeholder noun.
常見錯誤
6. A supernatural creature that brings harm, illness, or bad luck to people; a demo
A supernatural creature that brings harm, illness, or bad luck to people; a demon from folk beliefs or ancient stories.
The old farmer believed a devil had cursed his land after the strange fires started.
Talia's grandmother told stories about a devil that whispered bad ideas into people's ears at night.
evil spirit causing harm through temptation
The shaman performed a ceremony to drive the devils out of the sick woman's house.
The villagers believed a devil had taken shelter inside the old abandoned mill.
- guardian angel
a protective good spirit
文法句型
a devil
devils
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (FOLKLORE FIGURE): sense 1 describes a visual, physically depicted creature with horns and a tail. Sense 6 describes an intangible evil spirit that causes harm or misfortune and is not defined by visual features.
7. A person who behaves in a heartless, brutal, or inhuman way, causing deliberate
A person who behaves in a heartless, brutal, or inhuman way, causing deliberate suffering to other people.
The prison guard was an absolute devil who made inmates stand outside in the freezing cold for hours.
intensifier: absolute devil
That devil of a landlord raised the rent by fifty per cent with no warning at all.
phrase: that devil of a [noun]
Neighbours described the murderer as a devil who showed no regret for what he had done.
The ship's captain was a devil who beat sailors for the smallest mistake.
- saint
a very kind, patient, and good person
文法句型
a devil
an absolute devil
用法筆記
This is the strongest 'person' sense of devil — compare with sense 3 (BADLY BEHAVED) which is playful and mild, and sense 4 (DARING PERSON) which is admiring. This sense implies genuine evil or cruelty.
常見錯誤
devil — verb
1. To prepare a dish by rubbing or spreading a hot, strongly seasoned mixture — oft
To prepare a dish by rubbing or spreading a hot, strongly seasoned mixture — often made with mustard, chilli, or black pepper — over food such as chicken, eggs, or seafood before cooking.
The chef devilled the chicken legs with a paste of mustard, chilli, and vinegar before baking them.
passive: devilled + food item
Mayumi learned to devil prawns by coating them in hot spices and baking them until golden brown.
For the party, Talia devilled some eggs and arranged them neatly on a large white plate.
The restaurant serves devilled mushrooms with garlic and hot paprika.
文法句型
devil + noun (food)
devilled + noun
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the past participle form 'devilled' (UK) or 'deviled' (US) as part of dish names: 'devilled eggs', 'devilled chicken', 'devilled kidneys'. The simple present tense ('I devil the chicken') is very rare.
2. To annoy or make fun of someone in a way that is partly playful but can also be
To annoy or make fun of someone in a way that is partly playful but can also be slightly unkind.
The older boys kept devilling Ilan about his new haircut until his face turned bright red.
informal register: devilling someone about something
Xiu's younger brother loves to devil her by hiding her phone just before she leaves for school.
Stop devilling the cat — you can see her tail twitching with annoyance.
My grandfather used to devil his sister by hiding her favourite hairbrush.
- comfort
to soothe or support rather than provoke
文法句型
devil + noun phrase
用法筆記
Less common than 'tease' or 'annoy'. Today it sounds old-fashioned or regional in this sense. Learners are more likely to encounter this meaning in older novels and films than in daily conversation.