devil
gb/dˈɛvəl/ us/dˈɛvəl/
B1
Engleză
~ 5200
Sátán, ördög, démon, gonosz szellem, kis ördög, rosszcsont, mázlista, szegény ördög, kínszenvedés, rémálom, gyötör, csípősre fűszerez
SUBSTANTIV
B1
1
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone] believes in the Devil
In many Christian traditions, the Devil is seen as the source of temptation and evil.
Sok keresztény hagyományban a Sátánt a kísértés és a gonoszság forrásának tartják.
Her grandmother warned her that making a deal with the Devil would cost her soul.
A nagyanyja arra figyelmeztette, hogy ha alkut köt az ördöggel, az a lelkébe fog kerülni.
The painting shows the Devil standing over a field of fire.
Exemple pentru cursanți
Some people believe the Devil is real.
Vannak, akik hisznek abban, hogy a Sátán valóban létezik.
In the story, the man meets the Devil at midnight.
A történetben a férfi éjfélkor találkozik az ördöggel.
The priest says the Devil tries to lead people away from God.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes write “devil” with a small d when they mean the religious figure. For the main evil spirit in Christianity, write “the Devil” with a capital D. Use lowercase “devil” for more general or figurative uses.
Sens
the main evil spirit, Satan
Colocații
the Devil
|believe in the Devil
|tempted by the Devil
|worship the Devil
|the Devil himself
Sinonime
Satan (The standard religious name for the Devil in Christianity and Judaism; always a proper name.)
Antonime
God (In Christianity and related religions, God is the supreme good being, opposed to the Devil as the supreme evil being.)
Teme
religion
|mythology
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
The main evil spirit in some religions, especially Christianity, often called Satan and written as “the Devil.”
The chief evil spirit and enemy of God in Christian and some other religious traditions, often called Satan and written with a capital D as “the Devil.”
SUBSTANTIV
B2
2
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone] thinks [a place] is full of devils
The villagers believed that devils lived in the forest and caused sickness.
A falusiak azt hitték, hogy ördögök élnek az erdőben, és betegségeket okoznak.
In the legend, holy water drives away devils and other dark spirits.
A legenda szerint a szenteltvíz elűzi az ördögöket és más sötét szellemeket.
He claimed that devils whispered in his ear at night.
Exemple pentru cursanți
The old story says devils come out at night.
A régi történet szerint éjszaka előjönnek az ördögök.
People were afraid of devils and dark magic.
Az emberek féltek az ördögöktől és a fekete mágiától.
The hero fights many devils in the game.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes use “devil” when “demon” or “evil spirit” would sound more natural in modern English, especially in fantasy or gaming contexts. “Devil” is often reserved for the main evil being or used figuratively, while “demon” is more general.
Sens
evil spirit or demon
Colocații
fight your devils
|cast out devils
|haunted by devils
|evil devils
|summon devils
Sinonime
demon (The most common general word for an evil spirit; slightly more formal and more frequent than “devil” in this general sense.)
Antonime
angel (Angels are usually seen as good spirits serving God, the opposite of devils or demons.)
Teme
religion
|mythology
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
An evil spirit or demon in stories or religion.
An evil spirit or demon, especially in religious stories and traditional beliefs, not necessarily the one chief evil being.
SUBSTANTIV
B2
INFORMAL
3
kis ördög
B1
rosszcsont
B1
Tipar de utilizare:
you [adjective] devil
You little devil, you ate all the cookies before dinner!
Te kis ördög, megetted az összes sütit vacsora előtt!
That boy’s a real devil when he’s tired and cranky.
Az a fiú igazi kis ördög, amikor fáradt és nyűgös.
She can be a devil in class if the teacher isn’t strict.
Exemple pentru cursanți
Her son is a little devil when he is bored.
A fia igazi kis ördög, amikor unatkozik.
You naughty devil, you broke my phone!
Te kis rosszcsont, összetörted a telefonomat!
The twins are devils at home but very quiet at school.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse this playful, affectionate use with the religious meaning. In this sense, “devil” is usually used with adjectives like “little,” “naughty,” or “cheeky,” and the tone is often friendly or joking.
Sens
mischievous or cheeky person
Colocații
little devil
|mischievous devil
|you naughty devil
|cheeky little devil
|the little devil
Sinonime
rascal (Also informal; suggests a playful troublemaker, often with affection, similar to this sense of “devil.”)
Antonime
angel (Informally used for a very well‑behaved or sweet child, the opposite of a naughty “little devil.”)
Teme
character
|emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
Definiție
A person, often a child, who is naughty in a fun or playful way.
A person, especially a child, who behaves in a cheeky or naughty but usually playful and not seriously harmful way.
SUBSTANTIV
B2
INFORMAL
4
Tipar de utilizare:
[adjective] devil
You lucky devil, getting two weeks off work in the summer!
Te mázlista, két hét szabadságot kaptál a nyárra!
The poor devil lost his job and his apartment in the same month.
A szegény ördög ugyanabban a hónapban veszítette el az állását és a lakását.
You silly devil, why didn’t you just ask for help?
Exemple pentru cursanți
You lucky devil, you have tickets for the concert.
Te mázlista, van jegyed a koncertre!
He is a poor devil with no family and no home.
Szegény ördög, nincs se családja, se otthona.
You silly devil, you forgot your passport again.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes think “poor devil” is very rude. It is informal and slightly rough, but it often shows real sympathy. The tone depends on the speaker’s voice and situation.
Sens
person viewed with envy or pity
Colocații
poor devil
|lucky devil
|silly devil
|you poor devil
|you lucky devil
Sinonime
soul (In expressions like “poor soul,” similar to “poor devil” but gentler and without the playful or rough edge.)
Antonime
bastard (A vulgar, insulting word for a person; contrasts with the mixed or sympathetic tone of “poor devil” or “lucky devil.”)
Teme
emotions
|relationships
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
A word used after an adjective to talk about a person in a friendly way, often to show you feel sorry for them or you are jealous of them.
Used after an adjective to refer to a person in a familiar way, often showing sympathy, envy, or mild criticism.
SUBSTANTIV
C1
INFORMAL
5
kínszenvedés
B2
rémálom
B1
Tipar de utilizare:
a devil of a [noun]
This software update has been a devil to install on all our machines.
Kínszenvedés volt telepíteni ezt a szoftverfrissítést az összes gépünkre.
We had a devil of a time finding a taxi after midnight.
Kínszenvedés volt taxit találni éjfél után.
The last question on the test was a real devil.
Exemple pentru cursanți
That math problem is a devil to solve.
Kínszenvedés megoldani azt a matekfeladatot.
We had a devil of a time finding the house.
Kínszenvedés volt megtalálni a házat.
Moving all this furniture will be a devil of a job.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may overuse this expression in very formal writing. Phrases like “a devil of a job” or “a devil to fix” are best in spoken English or informal writing.
Sens
very difficult or annoying thing
Colocații
a devil of a job
|a devil of a time
|a real devil
|a devil to solve
|this exam is a devil
Sinonime
nightmare (Informal; used for very difficult or stressful situations, similar in strength to calling something “a devil.”)
Antonime
breeze (Informal; “a breeze” describes something very easy, the opposite of a “devil of a job.”)
Teme
work
|difficulty
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
A task or thing that is very hard or causes a lot of trouble.
Something that is very difficult, troublesome, or unpleasant to deal with.
VERB
C2
LITERARY
6
gyötör
B2
Tipar de utilizare:
[problem] devils [someone]
He was devilled by doubts about whether he had done the right thing.
Kétségek gyötörték, vajon helyesen cselekedett-e.
Old injuries devilled her for years after the accident.
Régi sérülései még évekig gyötörték a baleset után.
The same questions devilled the committee throughout the investigation.
Exemple pentru cursanți
He is devilled by fear after the attack.
A támadás óta félelem gyötri.
Old memories devilled her for many years.
Régi emlékek sok éven át gyötörték.
The problem devilled the team for the whole project.
Greșeală frecventă:
This verb use is quite rare and literary. Learners sometimes try to use “devil” as a verb in everyday speech, but more natural verbs are “worry,” “bother,” or “torment.”
Sens
to torment or trouble someone
Colocații
devilled by guilt
|devilled by doubts
|questions that devilled him
|memories that devilled her
Sinonime
torment (Slightly more common; can sound more intense or painful, but often used in similar literary contexts.)
Antonime
comfort (To make someone feel calmer or less worried, the opposite of troubling or devilling them.)
Teme
emotions
|mental_health
|daily_life
Definiție
To keep making someone feel worried or troubled for a long time.
To cause someone persistent worry, pain, or other trouble over a period of time.
VERB
B2
7
Tipar de utilizare:
to devil [food] with [spice or sauce]
They served devilled eggs as a starter at the party.
Előételként csípős töltött tojást tálaltak a partin.
The chef decided to devil the chicken with a mixture of mustard and chili.
A séf úgy döntött, hogy mustár és csili keverékével csípősre fűszerezi a csirkét.
I like to devil the sauce a little to give the dish more heat.
Exemple pentru cursanți
We made devilled eggs for the picnic.
Piknikre csípős töltött tojást készítettünk.
She likes to devil the meat with hot spices.
Szereti csípősre fűszerezni a húst.
He devilled the chicken with chili and mustard.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes think “devilled eggs” has a religious meaning. Here it only describes eggs mixed with a spicy filling; it is a cooking term.
Sens
to season food with hot spices
Colocații
devilled eggs
|devilled kidneys
|devilled chicken
|devil the sauce with chili
Sinonime
season (A general verb meaning to add flavor; “devil” is more specific and means to use hot or spicy flavours.)
Antonime
boil (A neutral cooking method often done without strong spices, contrasting with heavily seasoning food by devilling it.)
Teme
food
|cooking
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definiție
To cook food with a strong, hot sauce or spices.
To prepare food, especially meat or eggs, with a hot, spicy sauce or seasoning.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
devil
IPA
GB/dˈɛvəl/
US/dˈɛvəl/
Silabe și accent
dev - il (2 silabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (dev)
Forme ale cuvântului
Noun
- Base: devil
- Plural: devils
Verb
- Base: devil
- 3rd Person Singular: devils
- Present Participle: deviling, devilling
- Past: deviled, devilled
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
devils
noun
deviling
verb
devilling
verb
deviled
verb
devilled
verb
Core family
devilish
adjective
Related words
devilishly
adverb
demonic
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
angel
noun A2
angelic
adjective
Advanced or less common
diabolical
adjective
Expresii
a devil of a [something]
1/ə dˈɛvəl əv ə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
informal
extremely difficult or intense thing
Used before a noun to say that something is very difficult, unpleasant, or sometimes very good in a strong way.
Exemple
- We had a devil of a storm last night and the power went out.
- It was a devil of a job to clean up after the party.
better the devil you know (than the devil you don't)
1/bˈɛtɚ ðə dˈɛvəl jˈu nˈoʊ ðən ðə dˈɛvəl jˈu dˈoʊnt/
idiom
prefer familiar bad over unknown
It is sometimes wiser to stay with a bad situation or person you know than to change to something new that might be even worse.
Exemple
- I’m not happy with this job, but better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
- She stayed with her old landlord, thinking it was better the devil you know.
between the devil and the deep blue sea
1/bɪtwˈin ðə dˈɛvəl ˈænd ðə dˈip blˈu sˈi/
idiom
literary
stuck between two bad options
In a situation where you have to choose between two very bad or dangerous options.
Exemple
- We were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea: either sell at a loss or go bankrupt.
- Voters felt they were between the devil and the deep blue sea in that election.
give the devil his due
1/ɡˈɪv ðə dˈɛvəl hˈɪz dˈu/
idiom
admit merits of disliked person
To admit that someone you do not like still has some good qualities or has done something well.
Exemple
- You may not like him, but give the devil his due—he works incredibly hard.
- I’ll give the devil his due: the plan he proposed actually saved us money.
go to the devil
1/ɡˈoʊ tə ðə dˈɛvəl/
idiom
informal
angrily tell someone to go away
To angrily tell someone to go away or show that you do not care what happens to them.
Exemple
- He told the reporters to go to the devil and slammed the door.
- You can all go to the devil if you don’t like how I run this place.
like the devil
1/lˈaɪk ðə dˈɛvəl/
idiom
informal
with great speed or intensity
Very fast, very hard, or with a lot of energy, usually after a verb of action.
Exemple
- He ran like the devil to catch the last train.
- They worked like the devil to finish the project on time.
the devil is in the details
1/ðə dˈɛvəl ˈɪz ˈɪn ðə dˈiteɪlz/
idiom
small details cause big problems
The small parts of a plan or project are often the most difficult or cause problems, even if the main idea seems simple.
Exemple
- The overall design looks good, but the devil is in the details when you start building it.
- Budgeting sounds easy, but the devil is in the details of tracking every expense.
the devil makes work for idle hands
1/ðə dˈɛvəl mˈeɪks wˈɚk fɚ ˈaɪdəl hˈændz/
idiom
literary
idleness leads to trouble
If people have nothing useful to do, they may start doing bad or foolish things.
Exemple
- My grandfather used to say that the devil makes work for idle hands whenever we were bored and messing around.
- Summer camps keep kids busy because the devil makes work for idle hands.
what the devil...?
1/wˈʌt ðə dˈɛvəl ‖/
fixed phrase
informal
surprised or annoyed question
A mild way to show surprise, anger, or confusion in a question, similar to “what on earth” or “what the hell,” but a bit old‑fashioned.
Exemple
- What the devil are you doing in my office at this hour?
- What the devil happened to the car? It was fine this morning.
devil's advocate
1/dˈɛvəlz ˈædvəkɪt/
idiom
person arguing the opposite side
Someone who argues against an idea, even if they agree with it, in order to test how strong the idea is.
Exemple
- Let me play devil’s advocate and ask what happens if the plan fails.
- She often acts as devil’s advocate in meetings to make sure everyone has thought about the risks.
devil's advocate
2/dˈɛvəlz ˈædvəkɪt/
idiom
person who tests ideas by arguing against them
a person who argues against an idea, not because they really disagree, but to see how strong the idea is or to help others think more deeply
Exemple
- I’ll play devil’s advocate and argue that the plan might fail.
- She often acts as devil’s advocate during meetings to test our proposals.
- He took the role of devil’s advocate to help us prepare for tough questions.
speak of the devil
1/spˈik əv ðə dˈɛvəl/
idiom
informal
'person appears after mention' idiom
Said when someone appears just after you have been talking about them.
Exemple
- Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.
- Speak of the devil—here’s Anna now, just as we were talking about her new job.
- And then, speak of the devil, he walked into the room.
- We were complaining about our boss when, speak of the devil, he walked into the room.