devilry means mischief. It carries an Arena rating of 1378, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, devilry ranks #2,779 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #2,942 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #3,418 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #4,190 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
devilry is pronounced /ˈdɛv.əl.ɹi/.
Why “devilry” is a great word
Wicked or cruel mischief, often with connotations of supernatural malevolence or witchcraft. From Middle English *develrye*, equivalent to *devil* (from Old English *dēofol*, ultimately from Greek *diabolos*, "slanderer") + the noun-forming suffix *-ry* (denoting a practice or condition). Unlike "mischief," which suggests a boyish prank lacking profound malice, or "sorcery," a neutral term for magical practice, devilry is mischief fatally twisted by a diabolical alliance. It is the calculated spite behind a poisoned gift, the gleeful desecration of a sacred place, or the cold whisper that turns a simple quarrel into a murderous feud—small violations that carry the weight of a curse, where harm wears the mask of accident but leaves behind the scent of brimstone.
Etymology
From Middle English develrye; equivalent to devil + -ry.
noun
- Mischief.e.g.“Their newfound devilry : prank-calling local businesses.” — 2007 January 2, Arianne Cohen, Colleen Kinder, Confessions of a High School Word Nerd: Laugh Your Gluteus* Off and Increase Your SAT Verbal Score, Penguin, →ISBN, page 124:
- Wickedness; cruelty.
- An action performed with the help of a devil; witchcraft.
- An act of such mischief, wickedness, cruelty, or witchcraft.e.g.“[…] pranks and devilries which turned slowly more unpleasant.” — 2023 September 19, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Untamed Shore, Del Rey, →ISBN:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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