Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

devilish

/ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.84 in modern English

Syllables
dev-il-ish
IPA
/ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Resembling a devil.

adj

Evil, wicked.

adj

Excessive, extreme.

Informal

adv

Devilishly; very; exceedingly.

Dated; Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English develissh, develyssh, equivalent to devil + -ish. Cognate with Saterland Frisian düvelsk, düüwelsk (“devilish”), West Frisian duvelsk (“devilish”), Dutch duivels (“devilish”), German Low German düvelsk (“devilish”), German teuflisch (“devilish”), Danish djævelsk (“devilish”), Swedish djävulsk (“devilish”), Norwegian djevelsk (“devilish”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

more devilish (comparative) most devilish (superlative)

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce devilish?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/.
What does devilish mean?
Resembling a devil.
Where does devilish come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce devilish

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “devilish”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “devilish”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “devilish” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.