dev·il 
/ˈdɛvl̟/ noun
plural dev·ils /ˈdɛvl̟/ noun 1 a the Devil : the most powerful spirit of evil in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam who is often represented as the ruler of hell
▪ He went to the Halloween party dressed up as the Devil. [=Satan]
b [count] : an evil spirit
▪ an imaginary world haunted by ghosts and devils [=demons] 2 [count] informal a : a person who does bad things or causes trouble usually in a way that is not too serious
▪ She is a tricky devil, so be careful. ▪ Those kids can be little devils sometimes.
b : a person (especially a man) who is lucky, unlucky, etc.
▪ The poor devil [=poor guy] broke his leg on the first day of his skiing vacation. ▪ He's such a lucky devil that he'll probably win the lottery someday. 3 the devil informal — used to make a statement or question more forceful ▪ What the devil are you talking about? ▪ Where the devil have you been? 4 [singular] informal : something that is very difficult or that causes a lot of trouble
▪ The shoes look great, but they're the devil to walk in. [=they are very difficult to walk in] — usually used in the phrase a devil of ▪ The new regulations have created a devil of a problem [=a very difficult problem] for many small businesses. ▪ He had a devil of a time getting another job. [=he found it very difficult to get another job] — see also the devil to pay at 1pay
▪ He went to the Halloween party dressed up as the Devil. [=Satan]
b [count] : an evil spirit
▪ an imaginary world haunted by ghosts and devils [=demons]
▪ She is a tricky devil, so be careful. ▪ Those kids can be little devils sometimes.
b : a person (especially a man) who is lucky, unlucky, etc.
▪ The poor devil [=poor guy] broke his leg on the first day of his skiing vacation. ▪ He's such a lucky devil that he'll probably win the lottery someday.
▪ The shoes look great, but they're the devil to walk in. [=they are very difficult to walk in] — usually used in the phrase a devil of ▪ The new regulations have created a devil of a problem [=a very difficult problem] for many small businesses. ▪ He had a devil of a time getting another job. [=he found it very difficult to get another job] — see also the devil to pay at 1pay
be a devil
Brit, informal — used to tell someone who is not sure about doing something to go ahead and do it ▪ “I don't know if I should eat anything else.” “Oh, go on, be a devil, order dessert!”
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
— used to say that it is better to deal with a difficult person or situation you know than with a new person or situation that could be worse
between the devil and the deep blue sea
old-fashioned : in a situation that is difficult because you must choose between two unpleasant things
▪ She felt caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. [=in a very bad situation]
▪ She felt caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. [=in a very bad situation]
go to the devil
informal — used to forcefully and rudely tell someone to go away and leave you alone ▪ She angrily told him to go to the devil. [=(more commonly) go to hell]
like the devil
informal 1 : very much
▪ I'm sorry to hear about your injury. It must hurt like the devil. 2 : with a lot of energy and speed
▪ He ran like the devil. [=he ran very fast]
▪ I'm sorry to hear about your injury. It must hurt like the devil.
▪ He ran like the devil. [=he ran very fast]
speak/talk of the devil
informal — used in speech to say that someone you have been talking about has unexpectedly appeared ▪ “Well, speak of the devil! We were just talking about you!”
