devil
Pitchfork-wielding tempter
The devil, as conceived in Christianity, is Satan, the chief opponent of God and the ruler of hell.
A devil, therefore, is never a good thing.
A bad child may be called a little devil; a devil of a problem is one difficult to solve.
A few fixed phrases characterize people, usually men, as devils (handsome devil, lucky devil, sly devil, poor devil) without neutral or negative connotation.
In these instances, the meaning comes primarily from the adjective.
Malevolent supernatural being
- ghostApparition of the dead
- bansheeDeath-foretelling Irish spirit
- specterGhostly threatening presence
- wraithSpectral apparition of someone
shade · revenant · poltergeist · phantom · apparition · spirit · ghoul · lich
Evil or slang-excellent
- malevolentHarboring ill will
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- nefariousExtremely evil or villainous
- vileExtremely unpleasant or bad
depraved · corrupt · malicious · darkness · maleficent · heinous · fiendish · demonic
Cunning deceiver in myth
- deceiverOne who tricks others
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
manipulation · lies · shapeshifter · disguise · silver-tongued · smooth-talking · con artist · duplicity
demon
Malevolent supernatural being
wraith · shade · revenant · poltergeist · phantom · apparition · spirit · ghoul · lich · wight
wicked
Evil or slang-excellent
- malevolentHarboring ill will
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- nefariousExtremely evil or villainous
vile · depraved · corrupt · malicious · darkness · maleficent · heinous · fiendish · demonic · infernal
trickster
Cunning deceiver in myth
subterfuge · manipulation · lies · shapeshifter · disguise · silver-tongued · smooth-talking · con artist · duplicity · scheming
bogeyman
Imaginary childhood terror
- bugbearPersistent cause of anxiety
- hobgoblinTroublesome fairy creature
- monsterFrightening imaginary creature
Krampus · rakshasa · oni · yokai · dybbuk · incubus · succubus · changeling
- Halloweenjack-o-lantern, trick or treating, haunted mansion, pumpkin, trick-or-treat
- costumeswitch, costume, vampire, pirate, ghost costume
- Christian loreAdam, Eve, Adam and Eve, Noah, Satan
- mythical creaturesdragon, dragons, vampire, vampires, werewolf
- religionChristianity, Islam, beliefs, Judaism, Hinduism
- supernatural beingsghost, demon, phantom, specter, banshee
devilGod
Supreme spiritual authority
the Almighty · Yahweh · Jesus Christ · Christ · Allah
devilsaint
Canonized holy person
angel · innocent · blessed one · man of God · Mother Teresa
- the devilSupreme evil spirit
- dancing with the devilEngaging with dangerous forces
- give the devil his dueAdmit an adversary's merit
- little devilEndearing term for troublemaker
- devil to paySerious trouble ahead
- deal with the devilUnholy exchange for advantage
daredevil, devilish, devils, devilry, bedevil, deviled, deviling, deviltry, devil-may-care