"the devil is in the details" meaning in English

See the devil is in the details in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Audio: en-au-devil is in the details.ogg
Etymology: In allusion to God is in the detail. Head templates: {{head|en|proverb|head=the devil is in the details}} the devil is in the details
  1. (idiomatic) The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable. Wikipedia link: the devil is in the details Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: the devil is in the detail (english: detail; with as a mass noun) Translations (specific provisions of something may be complicated): 關鍵在細節,細節決定成敗 (Chinese Mandarin), 关键在细节 (Chinese Mandarin), 细节决定成败 (guānjiàn zài xìjié, xìjié juédìng chéngbài) (Chinese Mandarin), de duivel zit in de details (Dutch), piru asuu yksityiskohdissa (Finnish), le diable se cache dans les détails (French), der Teufel steckt im Detail (German), ο διάβολος κρύβεται στις λεπτομέρειες (o diávolos krývetai stis leptoméreies) (Greek), az ördög a részletekben rejlik (Hungarian), il diavolo è nei dettagli (Italian), il diavolo si nasconde nei dettagli (Italian), 悪魔は細部に宿る (Japanese), diabeł tkwi w szczegółach (Polish), o diabo mora nos detalhes (Portuguese), teoria ca teoria, dar practica ne omoară (Romanian), socoteala de acasă nu se potrivește cu cea din târg (Romanian), dracu-i în amănunte ascuns. (Romanian), гла́дко бы́ло на бума́ге, да забы́ли про овра́ги (gládko býlo na bumáge, da zabýli pro ovrági) (english: rhyme: it was smooth on paper, but the ravines were forgotten) (Russian), el diablo está en los detalles (Spanish), djävulen sitter i detaljerna (Swedish), şeytan ayrıntıda gizlidir (Turkish)

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "In allusion to God is in the detail.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb",
        "head": "the devil is in the details"
      },
      "expansion": "the devil is in the details",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant script codes",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant script codes",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1965, Newsweek, volume 65, page 173:",
          "text": "Krupp already has an agreement in principle for the deal, but precise details are still being worked out by Polish officials and a Krupp bargaining team (\"The devil is in the details,\" Beitz says).",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1998 December 16, Alain L. Sanders, “Israel: Let the People Speak”, in Time, archived from the original on 2009-04-08:",
          "text": "The country has developed a strong consensus for peace, but the devil is in the details over what concessions should be made.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 May 16, Cecilia Kang, quoting Sarah Myers West, “OpenAI’s Sam Altman Urges A.I. Regulation in Senate Hearing”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "“The devil will be in the details,” said Sarah Myers West, managing director of AI Now Institute, a policy research center.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable."
      ],
      "id": "en-the_devil_is_in_the_details-en-proverb-dCgKcXiq",
      "links": [
        [
          "specific",
          "specific"
        ],
        [
          "provision",
          "provision"
        ],
        [
          "particular",
          "particular"
        ],
        [
          "step",
          "step"
        ],
        [
          "implement",
          "implement"
        ],
        [
          "general",
          "general"
        ],
        [
          "plan",
          "plan"
        ],
        [
          "policy",
          "policy"
        ],
        [
          "contract",
          "contract"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "controversial",
          "controversial"
        ],
        [
          "unworkable",
          "unworkable"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "english": "detail; with as a mass noun",
          "word": "the devil is in the detail"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "關鍵在細節,細節決定成敗"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "关键在细节"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "guānjiàn zài xìjié, xìjié juédìng chéngbài",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "细节决定成败"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "de duivel zit in de details"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "piru asuu yksityiskohdissa"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "le diable se cache dans les détails"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "der Teufel steckt im Detail"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "o diávolos krývetai stis leptoméreies",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "ο διάβολος κρύβεται στις λεπτομέρειες"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "az ördög a részletekben rejlik"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "il diavolo è nei dettagli"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "il diavolo si nasconde nei dettagli"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "悪魔は細部に宿る"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "diabeł tkwi w szczegółach"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "o diabo mora nos detalhes"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "teoria ca teoria, dar practica ne omoară"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "socoteala de acasă nu se potrivește cu cea din târg"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "dracu-i în amănunte ascuns."
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "rhyme: it was smooth on paper, but the ravines were forgotten",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "gládko býlo na bumáge, da zabýli pro ovrági",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "гла́дко бы́ло на бума́ге, да забы́ли про овра́ги"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "el diablo está en los detalles"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "djävulen sitter i detaljerna"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
          "word": "şeytan ayrıntıda gizlidir"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "the devil is in the details"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-devil is in the details.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d6/En-au-devil_is_in_the_details.ogg/En-au-devil_is_in_the_details.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/En-au-devil_is_in_the_details.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "the devil is in the details"
}
{
  "etymology_text": "In allusion to God is in the detail.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb",
        "head": "the devil is in the details"
      },
      "expansion": "the devil is in the details",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proverbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Japanese terms with redundant script codes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Greek translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Japanese translations",
        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Romanian translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "Terms with Turkish translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1965, Newsweek, volume 65, page 173:",
          "text": "Krupp already has an agreement in principle for the deal, but precise details are still being worked out by Polish officials and a Krupp bargaining team (\"The devil is in the details,\" Beitz says).",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1998 December 16, Alain L. Sanders, “Israel: Let the People Speak”, in Time, archived from the original on 2009-04-08:",
          "text": "The country has developed a strong consensus for peace, but the devil is in the details over what concessions should be made.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 May 16, Cecilia Kang, quoting Sarah Myers West, “OpenAI’s Sam Altman Urges A.I. Regulation in Senate Hearing”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "“The devil will be in the details,” said Sarah Myers West, managing director of AI Now Institute, a policy research center.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "specific",
          "specific"
        ],
        [
          "provision",
          "provision"
        ],
        [
          "particular",
          "particular"
        ],
        [
          "step",
          "step"
        ],
        [
          "implement",
          "implement"
        ],
        [
          "general",
          "general"
        ],
        [
          "plan",
          "plan"
        ],
        [
          "policy",
          "policy"
        ],
        [
          "contract",
          "contract"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "controversial",
          "controversial"
        ],
        [
          "unworkable",
          "unworkable"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "the devil is in the details"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-devil is in the details.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d6/En-au-devil_is_in_the_details.ogg/En-au-devil_is_in_the_details.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/En-au-devil_is_in_the_details.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "english": "detail; with as a mass noun",
      "word": "the devil is in the detail"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "關鍵在細節,細節決定成敗"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "关键在细节"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "guānjiàn zài xìjié, xìjié juédìng chéngbài",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "细节决定成败"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "de duivel zit in de details"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "piru asuu yksityiskohdissa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "le diable se cache dans les détails"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "der Teufel steckt im Detail"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "o diávolos krývetai stis leptoméreies",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "ο διάβολος κρύβεται στις λεπτομέρειες"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "az ördög a részletekben rejlik"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "il diavolo è nei dettagli"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "il diavolo si nasconde nei dettagli"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "悪魔は細部に宿る"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "diabeł tkwi w szczegółach"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "o diabo mora nos detalhes"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "teoria ca teoria, dar practica ne omoară"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "socoteala de acasă nu se potrivește cu cea din târg"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "dracu-i în amănunte ascuns."
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "rhyme: it was smooth on paper, but the ravines were forgotten",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "gládko býlo na bumáge, da zabýli pro ovrági",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "гла́дко бы́ло на бума́ге, да забы́ли про овра́ги"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "el diablo está en los detalles"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "djävulen sitter i detaljerna"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "specific provisions of something may be complicated",
      "word": "şeytan ayrıntıda gizlidir"
    }
  ],
  "word": "the devil is in the details"
}

Download raw JSONL data for the devil is in the details meaning in English (6.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.