devious

adjective

de·vi·ous ˈdē-vē-əs

-vyəs

: wandering, roundabout

a devious path

: moving without a fixed course : errant

devious breezes

: out-of-the-way, remote

upon devious coasts

: deviating from a right, accepted, or common course

devious conduct

: not straightforward : cunning

a devious politician

also : deceptive

a devious trick

a devious plot

deviously adverb

deviousness noun

Did you know?

The "Lost" History of Devious

If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking—the word derives from the Latin adjective devius, itself formed from the prefix de- ("from" or "away") and the noun via ("way"). When devious was first used in the 16th century, it implied a literal wandering off the way, suggesting something that meandered or had no fixed course (as in "a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that had left the right path metaphorically rather than literally, or to describe deceitful rather than straightforward behavior.

Example Sentences

a dishonest and devious politician He took us by a devious route to the center of the city.

Recent Examples on the Web And indeed, threats sometimes come from hostile foreign states or devious, tech-savvy criminal masterminds.

Bernard Marr, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022 Since the 1980s, the church has faced accusations of devious business and recruitment tactics, including brainwashing members into turning over huge portions of their salaries to it.

Mari Yamaguchi, ajc, 25 Oct. 2022 Throughout the first season, as tensions in his family grow high and devious plans are plotted, poor naive Viserys is far too busy trying to stay alive than deal with all the scheming going on around him.

Milan Polk, Men's Health, 11 Oct. 2022 Continuing the dark and devious quick wit of Wednesday’s character for the new Tim Burton series is Jenny Ortega.

Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2022 Both last season's dramatics and this trailer's short clips prove Allison's devious plan only makes her prototypical sitcom wife life more cumbersome.

Emma Becker, PEOPLE.com, 18 July 2022 When a devious plan to destroy Monster High threatens to reveal her real identity, Clawdeen must learn to embrace her true monster heart and find a way to save the day.

Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 30 June 2022 Angela Lansbury, the dignified stage and screen actress who played devious dames on Broadway and in the movies, and starred on the long-running TV mystery series Murder, She Wrote, died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles.

Edward Karam And Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Oct. 2022 But life, in this case a devious grandfather and a meddlesome mother, gets in the way of their true love.

Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 28 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'devious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.