devout
Americanadjective
-
devoted to divine worship or service; pious; religious.
a devout Catholic.
- Antonyms:
- irreverent
-
expressing devotion or piety.
devout prayer.
-
earnest or sincere; hearty.
He had a devout allegiance to the political regime.
adjective
-
deeply religious; reverent
-
sincere; earnest; heartfelt
a devout confession
Related Words
See religious.
Other Word Forms
- devoutly adverb
- devoutness noun
- nondevout adjective
- nondevoutly adverb
- nondevoutness noun
- undevout adjective
- undevoutly adverb
- undevoutness noun
Etymology
Origin of devout
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French devo(u)t, from Late Latin dēvotus, Latin: “devoted”; devote
Explanation
To be devout is to be deeply devoted to one's religion or to another belief, cause, or way of life. If you're reading this, you're probably a devout believer in improving your vocabulary. Devout is often used to describe religious individuals, but this word also pops up in the context of sports fans — a fact that may shed some light on the role of sports in today's society. However, while it's usually acceptable for a devout individual to miss work for religious holidays, devout sports fans have a tougher time convincing their boss to let them off for the big game.
Vocabulary lists containing devout
I Am Malala
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The Things They Carried
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The Alchemist
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said that Iran's government was leaning on its most devout supporters.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
The laid-back, devout Christian was reliably referred to as "our leader" by even his older Patriots teammates in several interviews this week.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
This debut novel gives an important role to the Rev. Morris Green, a devout Lutheran who has begun to question the meaning of the universe and the validity of his own spiritual authority.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
This time, the devout Catholic and father of nine avoided discussing social issues that had put off Chileans in previous presidential bids.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025
“Here is a marvel indeed,” they would say, and make comparisons with ordinary parents who sometimes bore a child of matchless brilliance; or with a devout couple who had brought forth a wretch.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
