Dictionary

devious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈdiː.vi.əs/

Etymology

1590s, "out of the common or direct way," from Latin devius (“out of the way, remote, off the main road”), from de via, from de (“off”) (see de-) + via (“way, road”). Compare deviate. Originally in the Latin literal sense; the figurative sense of "deceitful" is first recorded 1630s. Related to deviously, deviousness. Figurative senses of the Latin word were "retired, sequestered, wandering in the byways, foolish, inconsistent."

Meanings

1. Cunning or deceiving, not straightforward or honest, not frank.
2. (archaic, qualifier:literal) Roundabout, circuitous, deviating from the direct or ordinary route.
   • On the second day, a sail drew near, nearer, and picked me up at last. It was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Epilogue”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
   • Keeping close in to the shore, they discovered, after two hours run, a fresh stream which burst in a cascade from the mountains, and swept its devious course through the jungle, until it poured its tribute into the waters of the Strait. 1839, Frederick Marryat, The Phantom Ship:
   • We went down accordingly into the waste, and began to make our toilsome and devious travel towards the eastern verge. 1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:
   • The wandering Arab never sets his tent Within her walls; the Shepherd eyes afar Her evil towers, and devious drives his flock. 1801, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

deviousness · deviously · devious lick · undevious

Translations (62)

ia insidiose (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · es marrullero (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · bg око́лен (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · nl heimelijk (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · es enrevesado (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · uk непрямий (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · es artero (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de verschlagen (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · eo firuza (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · bg лъкату́шен (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · yi כיטרע (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fi epäsuora (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · ru неи́скренний (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · uk звивистий (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · sv lömsk (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · cs prohnaný (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de krumm (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · es desvioso (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · bg неи́скрен (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · ru непрямо́й (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · uk хитрий (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fr rusé (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · bg нече́стен (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · uk підступний (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · ru око́льный (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · cs klikatý (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · cs křivolaký (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · nl onoprecht (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de indirekt (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · fr roublard (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fi kiero (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fr sournois (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fi katala (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de link (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · tr sinsi (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de heimtückisch (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · es desvioso (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · es engañoso (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · eo ruza (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de durchtrieben (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · he עַרְמוּמִי (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · ru нече́стный (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · yi ממזריש (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de hinterrücks (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · bg непря́к (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · cs záludný (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · es tortuoso (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · ru кова́рный (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de gewunden (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · ru хи́трый (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de unaufrichtig (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · nl kronkelend (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de doppelzüngig (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fi petollinen (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · de abwegig (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · es sinuoso (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · eo trompema (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fi kiertävä (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · de hinterhältig (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · fi kiertelevä (roundabout, circuitous, deviating) · es taimado (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward) · cs nečestný (cunning or deceiving, not straightforward)