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Devilish vs Impish - What's the difference?

devilish | impish |

As adjectives the difference between devilish and impish

is that devilish is resembling a devil while impish is mischievous; of or befitting an imp.

As an adverb devilish

is (informal) devilishly.

devilish

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Resembling a devil.
  • Characteristic of a devil.
    • A devilish grin.
  • (informal) Extreme, excessive.
    • A devilish''' effort yielded a '''devilish success.

    Synonyms

    * (resembling a devil) atrocious, demoniac, deuced, diabolic, evil, fiendish, ghoulish, malicious, mischievous, nefarious, ogreish, reprobate, unhallowed, wicked * (characteristic of a devil) demonic, diabolic, diabolical, hellish, infernal, satanic, satanical * (extreme) excessive, extreme.

    Derived terms

    * devilishly * devilishness

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (informal) Devilishly.

    • impish

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • mischievous; of or befitting an imp.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1897 , author=H. G. Wells , title=A Story of the Stone Age , chapter=1 citation , passage=Wild-eyed youngsters they were, with matted hair and little broad-nosed impish faces, covered (as some children are covered even nowadays) with a delicate down of hair.}}
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1942 , author=Virginia Woolf , title=The Death of the Moth, and other essays , chapter=20 citation , passage=But the antics of Mr. Moore, though impish and impudent, are, after all, so amusing and so graceful that the governess, it is said, sometimes hides behind a tree to watch.}}

    Synonyms

    * (naughtily or annoyingly playful): implike, mischievous, pixilated, prankish, puckish