(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
"After years of ignoring his conscience, he finally felt the devil whispering that it would be easier to steal rather than work for what he wanted."
An evil creature.
"The old sailor warned us not to look directly at the devil, claiming his red eyes could see right through our souls."
In plain English: A devil is a fictional creature from religion and stories that causes trouble and tries to lead people away from doing good things.
"The old man called his mischievous cat a little devil."
Usage: Use the noun devil to refer to a supernatural embodiment of evil or an extremely mischievous person, but avoid using it casually to describe someone who simply acts badly without that specific connotation. It functions as both a literal mythological being and a vivid metaphor for intense difficulty or a particularly annoying individual.
To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
"The coach yelled at us to run like devils until our lungs burned out."
In plain English: To devil something means to annoy or bother someone on purpose.
"The old truck began to devil under the heavy load."
Usage: As a verb, to devil means to treat food by charring or grilling it over an open flame until it has a smoky flavor. Use this term specifically when describing the cooking method rather than referring to the mythical creature itself.
The chief devil; Satan.
"After hearing about his betrayal, he felt as though the very devil was against him."
The word "devil" comes from the Latin diabolus, which originally meant a false accuser or slanderer. It entered English via Old French and Middle English, eventually taking on its current meaning as the name for Satan in Christian tradition.