Meaning of "devil" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DEVIL

Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos enemy, accuser, slanderer, from diaballein, literally: to throw across, hence, to slander.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF DEVIL

devil  [ˈdɛvəl]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF DEVIL

Devil is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb devil in English.

WHAT DOES DEVIL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Devil

The Devil is believed in many religions, myths and cultures to be a supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly, ranging from being an effective opposite force to the creator god, locked in an eons long struggle for human souls on what may seem even terms, to being a comical figure of fun or an abstract aspect of the individual human condition. While mainstream Judaism contains no overt concept of a devil, Christianity and Islam have variously regarded the Devil as a rebellious fallen angel that tempts humans to sin, if not committing evil deeds himself. In these religions – particularly during periods of division or external threat – the Devil has assumed more of a dualistic status commonly associated with heretics, infidels, and other unbelievers. As such, the Devil is seen as an allegory that represents a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment. In mainstream Islam and Christianity, God and the Devil are usually portrayed as fighting over the souls of humans. The Devil rules Hell, where he and his demons punish the damned.

Definition of devil in the English dictionary

The first definition of devil in the dictionary is the chief spirit of evil and enemy of God, often represented as the ruler of hell and often depicted as a human figure with horns, cloven hoofs, and tail. Other definition of devil is one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief. Devil is also a person or animal regarded as cruel, wicked, or ill-natured.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO DEVIL

PRESENT

Present

I devil

you devil

he/she/it devils

we devil

you devil

they devil

Present continuous

I am deviling

you are deviling

he/she/it is deviling

we are deviling

you are deviling

they are deviling

Present perfect

I have deviled

you have deviled

he/she/it has deviled

we have deviled

you have deviled

they have deviled

Present perfect continuous

I have been deviling

you have been deviling

he/she/it has been deviling

we have been deviling

you have been deviling

they have been deviling

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I deviled

you deviled

he/she/it deviled

we deviled

you deviled

they deviled

Past continuous

I was deviling

you were deviling

he/she/it was deviling

we were deviling

you were deviling

they were deviling

Past perfect

I had deviled

you had deviled

he/she/it had deviled

we had deviled

you had deviled

they had deviled

Past perfect continuous

I had been deviling

you had been deviling

he/she/it had been deviling

we had been deviling

you had been deviling

they had been deviling

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will devil

you will devil

he/she/it will devil

we will devil

you will devil

they will devil

Future continuous

I will be deviling

you will be deviling

he/she/it will be deviling

we will be deviling

you will be deviling

they will be deviling

Future perfect

I will have deviled

you will have deviled

he/she/it will have deviled

we will have deviled

you will have deviled

they will have deviled

Future perfect continuous

I will have been deviling

you will have been deviling

he/she/it will have been deviling

we will have been deviling

you will have been deviling

they will have been deviling

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would devil

you would devil

he/she/it would devil

we would devil

you would devil

they would devil

Conditional continuous

I would be deviling

you would be deviling

he/she/it would be deviling

we would be deviling

you would be deviling

they would be deviling

Conditional perfect

I would have devil

you would have devil

he/she/it would have devil

we would have devil

you would have devil

they would have devil

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been deviling

you would have been deviling

he/she/it would have been deviling

we would have been deviling

you would have been deviling

they would have been deviling

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you devil
we let´s devil
you devil

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to devil

Past participle

deviled

Present Participle

deviling

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «DEVIL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «devil» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of devil

atua · barbarian · beast · beggar · brute · creature · demon · enthusiast · evil spirit · fiend · ghoul · go-getter · hellhound · human being · imp · individual · mischief-maker · monkey · monster · nointer · ogre · person · pickle · rascal · rogue · savage · scallywag · scamp · scoundrel · soul · swine · terror · thing · toerag · tyke · villain · wairua · whippersnapper

TRANSLATION OF DEVIL

Find out the translation of devil to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of devil from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «devil» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 魔鬼
• Translator English - Spanish: demonio
• English: devil
• Translator English - Hindi: शैतान
• Translator English - Arabic: شَيْطَان
• Translator English - Russian: дьявол
• Translator English - Portuguese: diabo
• Translator English - Bengali: শয়তান
• Translator English - French: diable
• Translator English - Malay: Syaitan
• Translator English - German: Teufel
• Translator English - Japanese: 悪魔
• Translator English - Korean: 악마
• Translator English - Javanese: Setan
• Translator English - Vietnamese: ma quỷ
• Translator English - Tamil: சாத்தான்
• Translator English - Marathi: भूत
• Translator English - Turkish: şeytan
• Translator English - Italian: diavolo
• Translator English - Polish: diabeł
• Translator English - Ukrainian: диявол
• Translator English - Romanian: diavol
• Translator English - Greek: διάβολος
• Translator English - Afrikaans: duiwel
• Translator English - Swedish: djävul
• Translator English - Norwegian: djevel

10 QUOTES WITH «DEVIL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word devil.

1

Ludovico Ariosto

When the devil grows old he turns hermit.

2

Eric Butterworth

Evil, and evil spirits, devils and devil possession, are the outgrowth of man's inadequate consciousness of God. We must avoid thinking of evil as a thing in itself - a force that works against man or, against God, if you will.

3

Edwin Hubbel Chapin

Pride is the master sin of the devil, and the devil is the father of lies.

4

Camille Claudel

I am in no mood to be deceived any longer by the crafty devil and false character whose greatest pleasure is to take advantage of everyone.

5

D. J. Cotrona

I did the 'Justice League' thing the wrong way. I read too much on the Internet. You can't do that. The Internet is the devil. Or the Internet is not the devil - the comment boards are the devil.

6

Peter Criss

I find myself evil. I believe in the devil as much as God. You can use either one to get things done.

7

Aleister Crowley

I was not content to believe in a personal devil and serve him, in the ordinary sense of the word. I wanted to get hold of him personally and become his chief of staff.

8

David Crystal

Ever since the arrival of printing - thought to be the invention of the devil because it would put false opinions into people's minds - people have been arguing that new technology would have disastrous consequences for language.

9

Romeo Dallaire

I know there is a God because in Rwanda I shook hands with the devil. I have seen him, I have smelled him and I have touched him. I know the devil exists, and therefore I know there is a God.

10

El DeBarge

The devil is busy and trying to distort and adulterate the things that are the pure essence of God.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «DEVIL»

Discover the use of devil in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to devil and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda

This book is an unsparing eyewitness account of the failure by humanity to stop the genocide, despite timely warnings.

Romeo Dallaire, 2009

Speak of the Devil: Tales of Satanic Abuse in Contemporary ...

Persuasively argued, this is an authoritative and scholarly account of an emotive issue.

Jean La Fontaine, 1998

Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success

Originally written in 1938 but never published due to its controversial nature, an insightful guide reveals the seven principles of good that will allow anyone to triumph over the obstacles that must be faced in reaching personal goals.

Napoleon Hill, Sharon L. Lechter, 2011

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure

In The Number Devil, he brings together the surreal logic of Alice in Wonderland and the existential geometry of Flatland with the kind of math everyone would love, if only they had a number devil to teach it to them.

Hans Magnus Enzensberger, 2000

Translating the Devil: Religion and Modernity Among the Ewe ...

This book offers an ethnography of the emergence of a local Christianity and its relation to changing social, political and economic formations among the Peki Ewe in Ghana.

Birgit Meyer, 1999

Devil on the Cross

Devil on the Cross tells the tragic story of Wariinga, a young woman who emigrated from her small rural town to the city of Nairobi only to be exploited by her boss and later a corrupt businessman.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo, 1987

Devil's Workshop:: 25 Years of Jersey Devil Architecture

Devil's Workshop contains complete project descriptions, photographs, drawings, and plans on more than a dozen projects, including the Snail House, the Silo House, the Hoagie House, and the Seaside Pavillion.

Susan Piedmont-Palladino, Mark Alden Branch, 1997

Dancing with the Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip-Hop

In revealing the dark side of the industry, Curry hopes to provide a road map for reforms necessary to prevent artists ending up in poverty, in prison or in the grave.Mark Curry has appeared on the following albums:[i]Gangsta Shi ...

Mark Curry, 2009

The Devil In The White City

The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and its amazing 'White City' was one of the wonders of the world. This is the incredible story of its realization, and of the two men whose fates it linked: one was an architect, the other a serial killer.

Erik Larson, 2010

Devil Dog: The Amazing True Story of the Man Who Saved America

These stories are so dramatic and thrilling they have to be true. In DEVIL DOG, the most decorated Marine in history fights for America across the globe—and returns home to set his country straight.

David Talbot, 2010

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «DEVIL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term devil is used in the context of the following news items.

Tyga Blames Devil for Cheating Rumors - VH1

We've noticed a trend of people blaming The Devil when bad things are happening to them. So, we thought we'd reach out to the man himself, ... «VH1.com, Jul 15»

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition New Video Showcases Stylish Final …

Despite some issues like the repeated locations and bosses in the second half of the game, Devil May Cry 4 is considered as one of the best ... «Geek Snack, Jul 15»

Sport picture of the day: better the devil you know … - The Guardian

The Tour de France wouldn't be the Tour de France without an appearance from Dieter 'Didi' Senft aka the Tour Devil, aka El Diablo. «The Guardian, Jul 15»

Super Junior Reveal Comeback Date And Cover Photo For 'Devil …

Super Junior member Yesung announced on Instagram that the popular boy group will be releasing a new special album Devil on July 16. «KpopStarz, Jul 15»

FBI Director: For Would-Be Terrorists, Twitter Is the 'Devil on Their …

“It buzzes in their pocket … a device, almost a devil on their shoulder, all day long saying, 'Kill, kill, kill, kill.'” Comey noted that the Islamic ... «Foreign Policy, Jul 15»

Devil in the detail, and that's Bill Shorten's weakness | The Australian

Bill Shorten has suffered two direct political hits on his first day before the trade union royal commission. The first is superficial and almost a ... «The Australian, Jul 15»

Weston teen bit by snake at Devil's Den | News 12 Connecticut

Animal Control officials say he was visiting Devil's Den Preserve on Monday when he tried to touch the snake. (July 8, 2015 1:58 PM). «News 12 Connecticut, Jul 15»

Devil's Diciples sentencings delayed as 2nd trial approaches

The criminal sentencing for Devil's Diciples Motorcycle Club president Jeff “Fat Dog” Smith of Mount Clemens, vice president Paul Darrah of ... «The Macomb Daily, Jul 15»

Man falls while walking off trail at Devil's Hole - Story - Wkbw.com

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) - A man had to be rescued after falling while walking off trail at Devil's Hole State Park in Niagara Falls. «WKBW-TV, Jul 15»

Two missing teens found on Devil's Canyon Trail

SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS >> Searchers on Tuesday morning found two missing 17-year-old boys who had gone out for a hike on Devil's ... «The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Jul 15»