"bedevil" meaning in English

See bedevil in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: [bɪˈdɛvəɫ] [UK], /bɪˈdɛvəl/ [US], /biˈdɛvəl/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav Forms: bedevils [present, singular, third-person], bedeviling [participle, present], bedevilling [participle, present], bedeviled [participle, past], bedeviled [past], bedevilled [participle, past], bedevilled [past]
Etymology: From be- + devil. Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|be|devil}} be- + devil Head templates: {{en-verb|past2=bedevilled|past_ptc2=bedevilled|pres_ptc2=bedevilling}} bedevil (third-person singular simple present bedevils, present participle bedeviling or bedevilling, simple past and past participle bedeviled or bedevilled)
  1. To harass or cause trouble for; to plague. Synonyms: disturb, molest, pester, annoy, pester Translations (to harass): tourmenter (French), harceler (French), plagen (German), heimsuchen (German), assillare (Italian), tormentare (Italian), atormentar (Portuguese), hărțui (Romanian), му́чить (múčitʹ) (Russian), терза́ть (terzátʹ) (Russian), atormentar (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-bedevil-en-verb-5PH3JeXn Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 39 31 31 Disambiguation of 'to harass': 96 2 2
  2. To perplex or bewilder. Synonyms: befuddle, bemuse, confuse
    Sense id: en-bedevil-en-verb-bCQkbw5Y
  3. (originally) To possess (someone's mind). Synonyms: bodyjack
    Sense id: en-bedevil-en-verb-VE8Trv0J Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 15 8 77 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 22 16 62 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 18 9 73 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 11 8 81 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 22 16 62 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 19 16 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 18 12 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 17 21 63 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 17 21 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 18 12 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 15 11 74
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: bedeviller, bedevilment, unbedeviled, unbedevilled

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "bedeviller"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "bedevilment"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "unbedeviled"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "unbedevilled"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "devil"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + devil",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From be- + devil.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bedevils",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedeviling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedevilling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedeviled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedeviled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedevilled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedevilled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "past2": "bedevilled",
        "past_ptc2": "bedevilled",
        "pres_ptc2": "bedevilling"
      },
      "expansion": "bedevil (third-person singular simple present bedevils, present participle bedeviling or bedevilling, simple past and past participle bedeviled or bedevilled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "39 31 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Guerrilla attacks continued to bedevil the larger army's supply routes.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1988 December 19, William Styron, “Why Primo Levi Need Not Have Died”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Mr. Levi may have been bedeviled by buried conflicts unrelated to Auschwitz.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto V, scene: The Third Way:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To harass or cause trouble for; to plague."
      ],
      "id": "en-bedevil-en-verb-5PH3JeXn",
      "links": [
        [
          "plague",
          "plague"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "disturb"
        },
        {
          "word": "molest"
        },
        {
          "word": "pester"
        },
        {
          "word": "annoy"
        },
        {
          "word": "pester"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "tourmenter"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "harceler"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "plagen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "heimsuchen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "assillare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "tormentare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "atormentar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "hărțui"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "múčitʹ",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "му́чить"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "terzátʹ",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "терза́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to harass",
          "word": "atormentar"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To perplex or bewilder."
      ],
      "id": "en-bedevil-en-verb-bCQkbw5Y",
      "links": [
        [
          "perplex",
          "perplex"
        ],
        [
          "bewilder",
          "bewilder"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "befuddle"
        },
        {
          "word": "bemuse"
        },
        {
          "word": "confuse"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "15 8 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 16 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 9 73",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 8 81",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 16 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 16 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 12 70",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 21 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 21 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 12 70",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 11 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To possess (someone's mind)."
      ],
      "id": "en-bedevil-en-verb-VE8Trv0J",
      "links": [
        [
          "possess",
          "possess"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "originally",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally) To possess (someone's mind)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bodyjack"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "[bɪˈdɛvəɫ]",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈdɛvəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/biˈdɛvəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "bedevil"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms prefixed with be-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "bedeviller"
    },
    {
      "word": "bedevilment"
    },
    {
      "word": "unbedeviled"
    },
    {
      "word": "unbedevilled"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "devil"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + devil",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From be- + devil.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bedevils",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedeviling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedevilling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedeviled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedeviled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedevilled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bedevilled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "past2": "bedevilled",
        "past_ptc2": "bedevilled",
        "pres_ptc2": "bedevilling"
      },
      "expansion": "bedevil (third-person singular simple present bedevils, present participle bedeviling or bedevilling, simple past and past participle bedeviled or bedevilled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Guerrilla attacks continued to bedevil the larger army's supply routes.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1988 December 19, William Styron, “Why Primo Levi Need Not Have Died”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Mr. Levi may have been bedeviled by buried conflicts unrelated to Auschwitz.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto V, scene: The Third Way:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To harass or cause trouble for; to plague."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "plague",
          "plague"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "disturb"
        },
        {
          "word": "molest"
        },
        {
          "word": "pester"
        },
        {
          "word": "annoy"
        },
        {
          "word": "pester"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To perplex or bewilder."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "perplex",
          "perplex"
        ],
        [
          "bewilder",
          "bewilder"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "befuddle"
        },
        {
          "word": "bemuse"
        },
        {
          "word": "confuse"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To possess (someone's mind)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "possess",
          "possess"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "originally",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally) To possess (someone's mind)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bodyjack"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "[bɪˈdɛvəɫ]",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bedevil.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈdɛvəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/biˈdɛvəl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "tourmenter"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "harceler"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "plagen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "heimsuchen"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "assillare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "tormentare"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "atormentar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "hărțui"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "múčitʹ",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "му́чить"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "terzátʹ",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "терза́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to harass",
      "word": "atormentar"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bedevil"
}

Download raw JSONL data for bedevil meaning in English (4.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-02 using wiktextract (f2d86ce and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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