Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [dev-uh l]
- /ˈdɛv əl/
- /ˈdɛvlɪŋ /
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dev-uh l]
- /ˈdɛv əl/
Definitions of deviling word
- noun deviling Theology. (sometimes initial capital letter) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan. a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption. 1
- noun deviling an atrociously wicked, cruel, or ill-tempered person. 1
- noun deviling a person who is very clever, energetic, reckless, or mischievous. 1
- noun deviling a person, usually one in unfortunate or pitiable circumstances: The poor devil kept losing jobs through no fault of his own. 1
- noun deviling Also called printer's devil. Printing. a young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office. 1
- noun deviling any of various mechanical devices, as a machine for tearing rags, a machine for manufacturing wooden screws, etc. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of deviling
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English devel, Old English dēofol < Late Latin diabolus < Greek diábolos Satan (Septuagint, NT), literally, slanderer (noun), slanderous (adj.), verbid of diabállein to assault someone's character, literally, to throw across, equivalent to dia- dia- + bállein to throw
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Deviling
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
deviling popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
deviling usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for deviling
noun deviling
- troll — to sing or utter in a full, rolling voice.
- gremlin — a mischievous invisible being, said by airplane pilots in World War II to cause engine trouble and mechanical difficulties.
- minx — a pert, impudent, or flirtatious girl.
- devil — In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Devil is the most powerful evil spirit.
- brat — If you call someone, especially a child, a brat, you mean that he or she behaves badly or annoys you.
verb deviling
- poach — to trespass, especially on another's game preserve, in order to steal animals or to hunt.
- sear — to burn or char the surface of: She seared the steak to seal in the juices.
- reduce — to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc.: to reduce one's weight by 10 pounds.
- griddle — a frying pan with a handle and a slightly raised edge, for cooking pancakes, bacon, etc., over direct heat.
- ruin — ruins, the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay: We visited the ruins of ancient Greece.
Antonyms for deviling
noun deviling
verb deviling
- grow — to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.
- ignore — to refrain from noticing or recognizing: to ignore insulting remarks.
- aid — Aid is money, equipment, or services that are provided for people, countries, or organizations who need them but cannot provide them for themselves.
- wet — moistened, covered, or soaked with water or some other liquid: wet hands.
- freeze — to become hardened into ice or into a solid body; change from the liquid to the solid state by loss of heat.
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with d
- Words starting with de
- Words starting with dev
- Words starting with devi
- Words starting with devil
- Words starting with devili
- Words starting with devilin
- Words starting with deviling