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The "Lost" History of Devious
If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking—the word derives from the Latin adjective devius, itself formed from the prefix de- ("from" or "away") and the noun via ("way"). When devious was first used in the 16th century, it implied a literal wandering off the way, suggesting something that meandered or had no fixed course (as in "a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to describe someone or something that had left the right path metaphorically rather than literally, or to describe deceitful rather than straightforward behavior.
Synonyms
Examples of devious in a Sentence
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 June 2024
That stabbing led to an epic endurance duel between the season’s two oldest players that completely changed the trajectory of the game, which in turn led to a devious plot back at camp to upend everything.
—EW.com, 13 June 2024
Chucky’s made it to the White House, and this half of the season continues to pair co-stars Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly in delightfully devious ways.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
General Motors' troubled robotaxi service Cruise on Feb. 6 endured a public lashing from a California judge who compared the company to the devious TV character Eddie Haskell for its behavior following a ghastly collision that wrecked its ambitious expansion plans.
—Michael Liedtke, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devious 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Devious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devious. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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devious
adjective
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