devious
Full of tricks
Devious describes someone who uses underhanded or indirect methods to achieve their goals, often through deception or trickery: a devious scheme, He's devious—never trust him.
The word suggests cunning combined with dishonesty.
A devious route is one that winds or deviates from the direct path, though this older sense is now less common than the moral one.
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- craftyCleverly deceptive
- wilySkilled at deception
guileful · artful · shrewd · conniving · sly · underhanded · sneaky · cunning
Circular junction for traffic
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
- windingCurving repeatedly, sinuous
- tortuousFull of twists
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
serpentine · oblique · evasive · zigzag · rambling · convoluted · labyrinthine · twisted
Creating false impressions
- dishonestInclined to deceive
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
- misleadingCausing false beliefs
lying · untruthful · fraudulent · two-faced · false · disingenuous · perfidious · dissembling
Devising a secret plan
- conspiringPlotting secretly with others
- intriguingArousing eager interest
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- contrivingInventing through ingenuity
machinating · strategizing · engineering · orchestrating · masterminding · conniving · finagling · angling
scheming
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- craftyCleverly deceptive
wily · guileful · artful · shrewd · conniving · sly · underhanded · sneaky · cunning · canny
roundabout
Circular junction for traffic
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
- windingCurving repeatedly, sinuous
- tortuousFull of twists
meandering · serpentine · oblique · evasive · zigzag · rambling · convoluted · labyrinthine · twisted · sinuous
deceptive
Creating false impressions
- dishonestInclined to deceive
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
misleading · lying · untruthful · fraudulent · two-faced · false · disingenuous · perfidious · dissembling · double-dealing
plotting
Devising a secret plan
- conspiringPlotting secretly with others
- intriguingArousing eager interest
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
contriving · machinating · strategizing · engineering · orchestrating · masterminding · conniving · finagling · angling · planning
- Tricksterstrickster, mischief-maker, Loki, rascal, Anansi
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- betrayalbackstab, betray, betrayal, traitor, backstabber
- reptile traitsscaly, cold-blooded, slithering, forked tongue, shedding skin
- complexitycomplex, complicated, simple, intricate, easy
devioushonest
Free from deception
trustworthy · truthful · sincere · honorable · upright
deviousstraightforward
Clear and uncomplicated
direct · frank · candid · forthright · plainspoken