Devious def

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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. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devious. Send us feedback about these examples.

Devious def

Add to word list Add to word list. Devious people or plans and methods are dishonest , often in a complicated way, but often also clever and successful :. You have to be devious if you're going to succeed in business. See more results ». He took a rather devious route which avoids the city centre. Bending, twisting and curving. Related words deviously. Devious also means indirect :. They went by a devious route. Officials called the company 'devious and underhand '. Management seems to have acted deviously and without regard for the interests of policyholders. Examples of devious. Nevertheless, however devious , the stratagems chosen by a contender must at least bear the appearance of conformity with the implicit norms of the argumentative game.

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Add to word list Add to word list. Translations of devious in Chinese Traditional. See more. Need a translator? Translator tool.

Add to word list Add to word list. Devious people or plans and methods are dishonest , often in a complicated way, but often also smart and successful :. You have to be devious if you're going to succeed in business. See more results ». He took a rather devious route which avoids the downtown area.

Devious def

Add to word list Add to word list. Devious people or plans and methods are dishonest , often in a complicated way, but often also clever and successful :. You have to be devious if you're going to succeed in business.

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Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. All rights reserved. French grammar. Thematic word lists. Translator tool. Traditional Chinese. English—German German—English. March 15, Read more. Traditional to English. English—Japanese Japanese—English. Choose a dictionary. 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". Synonyms: indirect , roundabout , wandering , crooked More Synonyms of devious. Quiz German confusables.

English Dictionary.

Can you solve 4 words at once? Send us feedback about these examples. See all examples of devious. I suppose that parliamentarians, by and large, are devious creatures. English Quiz. First Known Use. Synonyms of devious. Examples of devious in a Sentence. English—Dutch Dutch—English. Thematic word lists. English images. Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. English—French French—English.