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deviltry

[ dev-uh l-tree ]

/ ˈdɛv əl tri /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR deviltry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural dev·il·tries.

reckless or unrestrained mischievous behavior.

extreme or utter wickedness.

an act or instance of mischievous or wicked behavior.

diabolic magic or art.

demonology.

Also devilry.

Origin of deviltry

First recorded in 1780–90; variant of devilry

Words nearby deviltry

devilish, devilkin, devilment, devilry, devils-on-horseback, deviltry, devilwood, devine, deviometer, devious, devisable

Example sentences from the Web for deviltry

I knew mighty well that Carter would not concoct anything as crude as that, and wondered what deviltry he had devised.

Kathleen |Christopher Morley
Who had ever praised her work before, though all had "her deviltry?"

Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated |Solon Robinson
Some sort of deviltry is sure to be hatching soon after we get out of work.

Diary of an Enlisted Man |Lawrence Van Alstyne
Both were doubtless bad enough, but to Wight seems to belong the credit of planning the deviltry.

Hands Up; or Thirty-Five Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains |D. J. Cook

Therefore there is not and never was such a thing as witchcraft or deviltry.

Moral Principles and Medical Practice |Charles Coppens