devil

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An evil supernatural being; in many religions, the chief spirit of evil.

   In the story, the devil tempts the hero with great riches.

2. 2
   noun

   A mischievous or naughty person, often said affectionately of a child.

   Those two kids are little devils in a toy store.

3. 3
   noun

   Something that is very difficult or annoying to do or understand.

   That last math problem was a real devil.

4. 4
   noun

   Used in expressions of surprise, anger, or confusion for emphasis.

   What the devil is going on here?

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Devil is an Old English word that goes back to Greek diabolos “accuser, slanderer,” also the source of diabolic. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, diabolos translated the Hebrew word for “Satan.”

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwísder. Ancient Greek διά (diá) Ancient Greek δια- (dia-) Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der. Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō Ancient Greek βᾰ́λλω (bắllō) Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō) Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos)bor. Latin diabolusbor. Proto-West Germanic *diubul Old English dēofol Middle English devel English devil From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in…

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