devil */*/

UK [ˈdev(ə)l] / US noun
Word forms "devil":
singular devil plural devils

1)

a) the Devil the most powerful evil spirit in many religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

b) [countable] an evil spirit

They believed she had been possessed by devils.

2) [countable] informal someone who does not behave very well, especially a child. You usually use this word when you are not really angry with the person

I bet you were a little devil when you were younger.

3) [countable] informal a person. Used when you are describing someone or saying how you feel about them, especially if you like them

Poor old devil, he doesn't get many visitors.

•

better the devil you know (than the devil you don't) — used for saying that it is safer to deal with a bad but familiar person or thing than to risk dealing with someone or something that you do not know and that could be worse

the devil makes/finds work for idle hands — used for saying that people who are bored or do not have enough work will start doing things that they should not do

(the) devil take the hindmost — used for talking about a situation where people do only what is best for themselves and do not care what happens to other people

talk/speak of the devil — spoken used when someone you have just been talking about arrives unexpectedly

what/who/how the devil — spoken used for asking in an angry way what is happening or who has done something

What the devil is going on here?

- be a devil

- between the devil and the deep blue sea

- a devil of a

- have the luck of the devil