bedevil

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /bɪˈdɛvəl/ UK /bɪˈdɛvəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to torment, harass, or trouble persistently

Technical glitches bedeviled the launch from the very start.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to torment, harass, or... torment harass plague afflict beset trouble vex

Opposites

soothe comfort relieve

Word family

Derived forms bedevilledbedevilingbedevilment

Related forms devil

Etymology

From the intensive prefix be- + devil. Devil is from Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek diabolos ('slanderer, accuser'), from diaballein ('to throw across, slander').

be- Old English diabolus Latin diabolos Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# bedevil

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈdɛvəl/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈdɛvəl/

## Meanings
1. to torment, harass, or trouble persistently

## Examples
- Technical glitches bedeviled the launch from the very start.

## Synonyms
- torment
- harass
- plague
- afflict
- beset
- trouble
- vex

## Antonyms
- soothe
- comfort
- relieve

## Derived Forms
- bedevilled
- bedeviling
- bedevilment

## Related Forms
- devil

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: be-
- Root: diabolus
- Root: diabolos

## Etymology
From the intensive prefix be- + devil. Devil is from Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek diabolos ('slanderer, accuser'), from diaballein ('to throw across, slander').

## AI Etymology
Bedevil is from the intensive prefix be- + devil. Devil is from Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek diabolos ('slanderer, accuser'), from diaballein ('to throw across, slander'). In present-day use, it means to torment, harass, or trouble persistently. Derived formations include bedevilled, bedeviling, and bedevilment. Related vocabulary includes devil.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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