devilment

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devilment

  • /ˈdɛv(ɪ)lm(ə)nt/ UK
  • /ˈdɛv(ə)lm(ə)nt/ US

Where it comes from

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

noun devilments

  1. uncountable, usually Devilish action or conduct; wickedness; (more generally) troublemaking behaviour; mischief; (countable) an instance of this. He lived so long, and in his worldly matters prospered so much, there was so little sign of devilment in the accomplishment of his wishes, and the increase of his prosperity, that Simon, at the end of six years, began to doubt whether he had made any such bargain at all, as that which we have descri

    Similar: devilry

  2. countable, uncountable, usually A devilish, mischievous, or reckless nature; mischievousness.
  3. countable, uncountable, usually Something cruel or evil; also, something which causes distress or suffering. Ah, why the divil, Puddock, do you keep them ould women's charrums and divilments, about you—you'll be the death of some one yet, so you will.
  4. countable, uncountable, usually Something cleverly constructed.
  5. countable, humorous, often, uncountable, usually 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.

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MLA

"devilment." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/devilment. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

devilment. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/devilment

Chicago

"devilment." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/devilment.

BibTeX
@misc{devilment_2026,
  title = {devilment},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/devilment},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}