Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [dee-vee-uh s]
- /ˈdi vi əs/
- /ˈdiː.vi.əs/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dee-vee-uh s]
- /ˈdi vi əs/
Definitions of devious word
- adjective devious If you describe someone as devious you do not like them because you think they are dishonest and like to keep things secret, often in a complicated way. 3
- graded adjective devious A devious route or path to a place involves many changes in direction, rather than being as straight and direct as possible. 3
- adjective devious not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand 3
- adjective devious (of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout 3
- adjective devious going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring 3
- adjective devious not in a straight path; roundabout; winding 3
Information block about the term
Origin of devious
First appearance:
before 1590 One of the 37% oldest English words
1590-1600; < Latin dēvius out-of-the way, erratic, equivalent to dē- de- + -vius adj. derivative of via way; see -ous
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Devious
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
devious popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 82% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
devious usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for devious
adj devious
- fraudulent — characterized by, involving, or proceeding from fraud, as actions, enterprise, methods, or gains: a fraudulent scheme to evade taxes.
- duplicitous — marked or characterized by duplicity.
- wily — full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning.
- deceitful — If you say that someone is deceitful, you mean that they behave in a dishonest way by making other people believe something that is not true.
- sneaky — like or suggestive of a sneak; furtive; deceitful.
adjective devious
- designing — artful and scheming; conniving; crafty
- conniving — If you describe someone as conniving, you mean you dislike them because they make secret plans in order to get things for themselves or harm other people.
- machiavellian — of, like, or befitting Machiavelli.
- cunning — Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.
- crafty — If you describe someone as crafty, you mean that they achieve what they want in a clever way, often by deceiving people.
noun devious
- phoniness — not real or genuine; fake; counterfeit: a phony diamond.
Antonyms for devious
adj devious
- honest — honorable in principles, intentions, and actions; upright and fair: an honest person.
- frank — direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere: Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.
- sincere — free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest: a sincere apology.
- forthright — going straight to the point; frank; direct; outspoken: It's sometimes difficult to be forthright and not give offense.
- naive — having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous.
adverb devious
- on the up and up — to, toward, or in a more elevated position: to climb up to the top of a ladder.
- veraciously — habitually speaking the truth; truthful; honest: a veracious witness.
- aboveboard — An arrangement or deal that is aboveboard is legal and is being carried out openly and honestly. A person who is aboveboard is open and honest about what they are doing.
- overtly — openly; publicly.
Top questions with devious
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See also
Matching words
- Words starting with d
- Words starting with de
- Words starting with dev
- Words starting with devi
- Words starting with devio
- Words starting with deviou
- Words starting with devious