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

Other Word Forms

• deviously adverb
• deviousness noun
• nondevious adjective
• nondeviously adverb
• nondeviousness noun
• undevious adjective
• undeviously adverb
• undeviousness 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

Using the same paint to render George and Bertha, however, yields a devious kind of portrait.

From Salon

I prefer to think of it as a solid cargo ship delivering inciting devices, as in the lethal xenomorphs engineered by Michael Fassbender’s devious android David 8.

From Salon

“The Young Pope” paints him to be politically devious and as dangerous as any godless politician, a description more fitting than we’re initially shown.

From Salon

“People know me as a striver, someone who’s always coming up with devious, clever ways around things, who then gets punched in the face by the world over and over,” Odenkirk says.

From Los Angeles Times

The player gets played only when Dawson is challenged by a trickster even more devious than her.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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