Dictionary

bedevil en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /biˈdɛvəl/ (US)
• /bɪˈdɛvəl/ (US)
• [bɪˈdɛvəɫ] (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English bi- English be- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *dwísder. Ancient Greek διά (diá) Ancient Greek δια- (dia-) Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der. Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō Ancient Greek βάλλω (bállō) Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō) Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos)bor. Latin diabolusbor. Proto-West Germanic *diubul Old English dēofol Middle English devel English devil English bedevil From be- + devil.

Meanings

1. To harass or cause trouble for; to plague.
   • Guerrilla attacks continued to bedevil the larger army's supply routes.
   • Such amity is no small thing. The narrowing world of Yiddish theater has been bedeviled with one “broyges — a cherished term for a falling out — after another 2010 March 19, Joseph Berger, “How to Say Theater in Yiddish? Two Ways”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 11 Jun 2019:
   • Mr. Levi may have been bedeviled by buried conflicts unrelated to Auschwitz. 1988 December 19, William Styron, “Why Primo Levi Need Not Have Died”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2022:
   • Michael De Santa (Ned Luke): You know, Devin [Devin Winston], the way I see it, and hey, I'm no intelligent businessman like you, but the way I see it, there's two great evils that bedevil American capitalism of the type that you practice. 2013, Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto V, scene: The Third Way:
2. To perplex or bewilder.
3. (qualifier:originally) To possess (someone's mind).

Forms

Deriveds

unbedeviled · unbedevilled · bedevilment · bedeviller

Synonyms

plague · perplex · burn up · provoke · trouble · bemuse · persecute · ravel · fuddle · pester · sting · devil · botherate · lose · give someone grief · muddy · flabagast · chevy · get up · stick · grotch · try one's patience · hassle · badger · nettle · blind · baffle · get someone's Irish up · jazz · get on someone's nerves · cheese off · peeve off · get someone's dander up · piss off · get someone's nanny-goat · disgruntle · molest · devil · Idioms: · puzzle · muddle · addle · confuddle · baffound · beset · chap someone's hide · dumbfound · put someone's back up · grind one's gears · dazzle · harry · antagonize · dog · rankle · confuse · knot · irk · exasperate · bedevil · rile up · give someone the shits · molest · torque off · rub someone the wrong way · nerve · frustrate · bedevil · confuzzle · bug · disconcert · harass · bedevil · embroil · flurry · nark · flabbergaster · persecute · throw · pique · discombobulate · acerbate · stump · entangle · bullyrag · bother · befuddle · tick off · get someone's goat · mommick · peeve · wind up · ruffle someone's feathers · vex · pick at · bait · beleaguer · bemuse · vex · flabbergast · bug · get under one's goat · raise someone's hackles · burn someone's ass · befuddle · irritate · bodyjack · bumfuzzle · tee off · disturb · rile · hound · rub up the wrong way · test someone's patience · get someone's nanny · bewilder · fluster · besiege · boil someone's piss · bamboozle · get under someone's skin · confound · get on someone's tits · get someone's back up · roil · aggravate · bemud · ruffle · harsh one's mellow · get on someone's wick · pee off · storm · ferhoodle · complicate · jumble · mix up · grate · vex · get · flummox · pester · hack off · annoy

Translations (18)

ru му́чить (to harass) · ro hărțui (to harass) · pl znękać (to harass) · pl dokuczyć (to harass) · it tormentare (to harass) · ca endiablar (to harass) · pl dokuczać (to harass) · pl nękać (to harass) · pt atormentar (to harass) · ca endimoniar (to harass) · fr harceler (to harass) · fr tourmenter (to harass) · ca turmentar (to harass) · es atormentar (to harass) · de plagen (to harass) · ru терза́ть (to harass) · de heimsuchen (to harass) · it assillare (to harass)