devious

[ dee-vee-uhs ]

adjective

1. departing from the most direct way; circuitous; indirect:

   a devious course.

   Synonyms: involved, tortuous, roundabout

2. without definite course; vagrant:

   a devious current.

3. departing from the proper or accepted way; roundabout:

   a devious procedure.

4. not straightforward; shifty or crooked:

   a devious scheme to acquire wealth.

   Synonyms: sly, artful, crafty, cunning, subtle

devious

/ ˈdiːvɪəs /

adjective

1. not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand
2. (of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout
3. going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring

Derived Forms

• ˈdeviously, adverb
• ˈdeviousness, noun

Other Words From

• devi·ous·ly adverb
• devi·ous·ness noun
• non·devi·ous adjective
• non·devi·ous·ly adverb
• non·devi·ous·ness noun
• un·devi·ous adjective
• un·devi·ous·ly adverb
• un·devi·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of devious¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin dēvius “out-of-the-way, erratic,” from dē- de- + -vius (adjective derivative of via “way”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of devious¹

C16: from Latin dēvius lying to one side of the road, from de- + via road

Example Sentences

But it zeroes in on a particularly devious way in which grief can pierce its hooks in us.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has denounced traditional U.S. alliances in Europe and Asia as scams by which devious foreigners have tricked gullible Americans into one-sided military and trade deals.

From Los Angeles Times

They snap up the cleverest and most devious communicators to craft their messages, offering salaries no one else can afford.

From Salon

It’s accompanied by hand-drawn charcoal illustrations that depict a creature with an old-fashioned top hat, a pair of bulging eyes, a matching devious grin and a bulky long coat that hides spindly hands.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump dabbles in the devious, delights in the disingenuous and hopes to destroy with deception.

From Salon

Related Words

• calculating
• deceitful
• duplicitous
• fraudulent
• insidious
• insincere
• shrewd
• sly
• sneaky
• underhanded
• wily