bedevil
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Bedevil — Be*dev il, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bedevilled} (?); p. pr. & vb. n. {Bedeviling} or {Bedevilling}.] 1. To throw into utter disorder and confusion, as if by the agency of evil spirits; to bring under diabolical influence; to torment. [1913 Webster]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
bedevil — index annoy, discompose, disconcert, disorganize, distress, disturb, embarrass, harass, harrow … Law dictionary
bedevil — (v.) 1768, to treat diabolically, abuse, from BE (Cf. be ) + verbal use of DEVIL (Cf. devil) (q.v.). Meaning to mischievously confuse is from 1755; that of to drive frantic is from 1823. Related: Bedeviled (1570s, in a literal sense, possessed ); … Etymology dictionary
bedevil — ► VERB (bedevilled, bedevilling; US bedeviled, bedeviling) ▪ cause continual trouble to … English terms dictionary
bedevil — [bē dev′əl, bidev′əl] vt. bedeviled or bedevilled, bedeviling or bedevilling 1. to plague diabolically; torment; harass 2. to possess as with a devil; bewitch 3. to confuse completely; muddle 4. to corrupt; spoil bedevilment n … English World dictionary
bedevil — verb past mistakes that continue to bedevil her he accused Congress of allowing single interest group politics to bedevil U.S. foreign policy Syn: afflict, torment, beset, assail, beleaguer, plague, blight, rack, oppress, harry, curse, dog;… … Thesaurus of popular words
bedevil — UK [bɪˈdev(ə)l] / US verb [transitive] Word forms bedevil : present tense I/you/we/they bedevil he/she/it bedevils present participle bedevilling past tense bedevilled past participle bedevilled formal to cause a lot of problems for someone or… … English dictionary
bedevil — transitive verb Date: 1574 1. to possess with or as if with a devil 2. to cause distress ; trouble 3. to change for the worse ; spoil 4. to confuse utterly ; bewilder • … New Collegiate Dictionary
bedevil — bedevilment, n. /bi dev euhl/, v.t., bedeviled, bedeviling or (esp. Brit.) bedevilled, bedevilling. 1. to torment or harass maliciously or diabolically, as with doubts, distractions, or worries. 2. to possess, as with a devil; bewitch. 3. to… … Universalium
bedevil — Synonyms and related words: aggravate, annoy, badger, bait, be at, beset, bewitch, bother, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, chivy, demonize, devil, devilize, diabolize, discompose, distemper, disturb, dog, exasperate, exercise, fash,… … Moby Thesaurus
