Meaning of “devil” in the English Dictionary

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"devil" in English

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devilnoun

uk ​ /ˈdev.əl/ us ​ /ˈdev.əl/

devil noun (EVIL BEING)

B2 [ C ] an evil being, often represented in human form but with a tail and horns

the devil [ S ] often the Devil

› a powerful evil force and the enemy of God in Christianity and Judaism

Examples

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devil noun (PERSON)

C2 [ C ] informal someone, especially a child, who behaves badly:

Those little/young devils broke my window.

› [ C ] informal humorous a person who enjoys doing things people might disapprove of:

"I'm going to wear a short black skirt and thigh-length boots." "Ooh, you devil!"
Have another slice of cake - go on, be a devil!

› [ C ] informal used with an adjective to describe someone and express your opinion about something that has happened to them:

I hear you've got a new car, you lucky devil!
He's been ill for weeks, poor devil.

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Idiom(s)

be between the devil and the deep blue sea
the devil finds work for idle hands
the devil to pay
the devil's own
(to) give the devil his due
go to the devil
speak/talk of the devil
the/a devil of a sth
what/where/how/why the devil

(Definition of “devil” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"devil" in American English

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devilnoun [ C ]

us ​ /ˈdev·əl/

› an evil being, often represented in human form but with a tail and horns

the Devil

› The Devil, in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, is the most powerful evil spirit.

› The devil can be used to give emphasis to a question:

What the devil are you doing?

(Definition of “devil” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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