DEVIL

n. 1 Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Abaddon, Apollyon, Belial, Lord of the Flies, prince of darkness, spirit of evil, evil spirit, cacodemon or cacodaemon, evil one, wicked one, archfiend, Fiend, deuce, Scots Clootie; Colloq Old Harry, (Old) Nick, US (Old) Scratch In medieval times the devil was given horns, a tail, and cloven hooves 2 brute, fiend, demon, beast, ogre, monster, rogue, scoundrel, rake, knave, rakehell, villain, ghoul, hell-hound, vampire, barbarian; witch, hell-cat, shrew, termagant, vixen, virago, ogress, harpy, hag, Xanthippe or Xantippe, crone If you hit me again I'll phone the police, you devil! 3 fellow, person, chap, wretch, bloke, guy, beggar, unfortunate, Colloq bugger, Brit sod The poor devil lost an arm at Gallipoli 4 imp, scamp, rascal, fox, slyboots, sly dog, rapscallion, confidence man, trickster, Colloq operator, smoothie, smooth or slick operator, con man, con artist The little devil has stolen our hearts The devil wormed his way into our confidence and then made off with our money. 5 like the devil. exceedingly, extremely, excessively, violently, speedily, confoundedly, deucedly The car was going like the devil when it hit the tree She fought like the devil to protect the house. 6 - the devil. in heaven's name, the dickens, in the world, on God's green earth, in hell: What the devil do you think you are doing? Who the devil is she? Where the devil have you put my trousers?