Devil vs Euphemism - What's the difference?
devil | euphemism |
(theology) A creature of hell.
(theology) (the devil' ''or'' ' the Devil ) The chief devil; Satan.
The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
* The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
* Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
* That math problem was a devil .
(euphemistically, with an article, as an intensifier) Hell.
* What in the devil''' is that?'' ''What the '''devil is that?
* She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
* You can go to the devil for all I care.
A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil' and ' lucky devil .
A dust devil.
(religion, Christian Science) An evil or erring entity.
(dialectal, in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area.Dictionary of Regional American English
(cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
* Sir Walter Scott
A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
To annoy or bother; to bedevil.
To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
* 1978 , (Lawrence Durrell), Livia'', Faber & Faber 1992 (''Avignon Quintet ), page 401:
To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yolks are added condiments and spices, which mixture then is placed into the halved whites to be served.
* She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
(uncountable) The use of a word or phrase to replace another with one that is considered less offensive, blunt or vulgar than the word or phrase it replaces.
(countable) A word or phrase that is used to replace another in this way.
As a proper noun devil
is (theology) the chief devil; satan.As a noun euphemism is
(uncountable) the use of a word or phrase to replace another with one that is considered less offensive, blunt or vulgar than the word or phrase it replaces.devil
English
(wikipedia devil)Noun
(en noun)Word Detective: Tales from the berm
- devil strip
- Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.
Synonyms
* (a creature of hell ): demon * (the chief devil''): Satan, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, Old Nick, Old Scratch (''UK'' & ''US ), old-gooseberry, old gentleman * (thing awkward or difficult to understand or do''): bastard, bitch, bugger (''UK ), stinker * (wicked or naughty person ): imp, rascal, scamp, scoundrel * (as a euphemistic intensifier''): deuce (''euphemistic''), dickens (''euphemistic''), fuck (''only in senses with'' the ; ''taboo slang ), heck, hell * (a person, especially a man (as in "poor devil")''): bugger (''UK''), cow (''used of a woman''), sod (''UK )Antonyms
* (a creature of hell) angel, god * (the chief devil) God * (the bad part of the conscience) angel, conscience * (thing awkward or difficult to understand) cakewalk (US ), piece of cake, simplicity itself * (sense, wicked or naughty person') angel, saintDerived terms
* devil's luck * bedevil * better the devil you know * devilish, devillish * devilry, deviltry * a devil way * devil-may-care * the devil, you say! * the devil has all the best tunes * (the) devil is in the details * devil strip * * * devil dog * * * * devil's footstep * devil's lane * devil's own * * * devil's strip * (the) devil take the hindmost * * dust devil * folk devil * idle hands are the devil's workshop * the devil is in the details * give the devil his due * poor devil * speak of the devil * silver tongued devil * Tasmanian devil * what the devil * where the devil * who the devil * why the devil * how the devilVerb
- He did not repeat the scathing estimate of her character by Quatrefages, who at that time spent one afternoon a week devilling at the Consulate, keeping the petty-cash box in order.