Standard Lemma guide

devilment

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɛv(ɪ)lm(ə)nt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈdɛv(ə)lm(ə)nt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Devilish action or conduct; wickedness; (more generally) troublemaking behaviour; mischief; (countable) an instance of this.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: devilry

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A devilish, mischievous, or reckless nature; mischievousness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something cruel or evil; also, something which causes distress or suffering.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something cleverly constructed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A dish which is devilled (“made piquant or spicy”); a devil; also, the elements of the dish which make it spicy, or the piquancy or spiciness of the dish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, humorous, often, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mischief, mischief-making, mischievousness, deviltry, devilry, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: misbehavior, misbehaviour, misdeed

Narrower terms: hell, blaze, monkey business, vandalism, hooliganism, malicious mischief

History

Etymology

From devil + -ment (suffix forming nouns indicating the actions or results of what is denoted by the words it is attached to).

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: deabrukeria — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Dutch: duivelse streek — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Dutch: boosaardigheid — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Māori: porohīanga — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Norwegian: djevelskap — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Norwegian: jævelskap — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Norwegian: styggedom — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness
  • Swedish: djävulskap — devilish action or conduct; an instance of this — see also wickedness