n.
- (大寫)魔王;撒旦[the S]
- 魔鬼,惡魔[C]
Her aunt said she was possessed by
devils.
她姑媽說她被魔鬼迷住了。
- 惡棍[C]
- 【口】精力旺盛的人;無所顧忌的人[C]
- 【口】人,傢伙[C]
The poor
devil had another heart attack last night.
那個可憐的人昨晚心臟病又發作了。
- 【口】(用來加強語氣)究竟,到底[the S]
What the
devil happened?
究竟發生了什麼事?
- 【口】(用作感歎詞,表示不相信)怎會,才怪[the S]
- 難事[S]
vt.
- 折磨,困擾
Kitty
deviled her mother for a doll.
基蒂纏著她媽媽要個洋娃娃。
- 用香辣調味料燒烤(食品)
片語
Talk/Speak of the devil (and he will appear).
- 說到曹操,曹操就到。
辨析
n.
-
(usu. the Devil)
(in Christian and Jewish belief) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan.
▸an evil spirit; a demon.
- a very wicked or cruel person.
▸a mischievously clever or self-willed person.
-
(the devil)
fighting spirit; wildness:
he was born with the devil in him.
-
(the devil)
a thing that is very difficult or awkward to do or deal with.
- informal a person with specified characteristics:
you lucky devil.
-
(the devil)
expressing surprise or annoyance in various questions or exclamations.
- an instrument or machine used for tearing or other destructive work.
- informal, dated a junior assistant of a barrister or other professional. See also printer's devil.
v.
(devils, devilling, devilled; US devils, deviling, deviled)
- informal, dated act as a junior assistant for a barrister or other professional.
- N. Amer. harass or worry.
Phrase
- be a devil!
Brit. informal said when encouraging someone to do something that they are hesitating to do. - between the devil and the deep blue sea
caught in a dilemma. - devil-may-care
cheerful and reckless. - the devil's dozen
thirteen. - the devil's in the detail
the details of a matter are its most problematic aspect. - the devil to pay
serious trouble to be dealt with. - like the devil
with great speed or energy. - play the devil with
have a damaging or disruptive effect on. - speak
(or talk)
of the devil
said when a person appears just after being mentioned.
[from the superstition that the devil will appear if his name is spoken.]
Etymology
OE dēofol, via late L. from Gk diabolos ‘accuser, slanderer’ (used in the Septuagint to translate Heb. śāṭān ‘Satan’), from diaballein ‘to slander’.