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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
Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2024
Under the devious and divisive Project 2025 framework, technology safeguards on AI would be overturned.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2024
What does the everyday activity or product or brand look like through that lens of this wildly imaginative, deliciously devious world that Tim Burton has created in this movie?
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 9 Sep. 2024
For the devious Beetlejuice (Keaton), meanwhile—the most famous character of the franchise—Atwood wanted to give his iconic black and white suit a modern update.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 4 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2024.
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devious
adjective
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