devious

[ dee-vee-uhs ]
/ ˈdi vi əs /

adjective

departing from the most direct way; circuitous; indirect: a devious course.
without definite course; vagrant: a devious current.
departing from the proper or accepted way; roundabout: a devious procedure.
not straightforward; shifty or crooked: a devious scheme to acquire wealth.

Origin of devious

1590–1600; < Latin dēvius out-of-the way, erratic, equivalent to dē- de- + -vius adj. derivative of via way; see -ous

SYNONYMS FOR devious

1 roundabout, tortuous, involved.
4 subtle, cunning, crafty, artful, sly.

OTHER WORDS FROM devious

Words nearby devious

devils-on-horseback, deviltry, devilwood, devine, deviometer, devious, devisable, devisal, devise, devisee, devisor

Example sentences from the Web for deviously

British Dictionary definitions for deviously

devious
/ (ˈdiːvɪəs) /

adjective

not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand
(of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout
going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring

Derived forms of devious

deviously, adverb deviousness, noun

Word Origin for devious

C16: from Latin dēvius lying to one side of the road, from de- + via road