noun
plural -ils
a the Devil :the most powerful spirit of evil in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam who is often represented as the ruler of hell
[count] :an evil spirit
[count] informal
a person who does bad things or causes trouble usually in a way that is not too serious
a person (especially a man) who is lucky, unlucky, etc.
the devil informal - used to make a statement or question more forceful
[singular] informal :something that is very difficult or that causes a lot of trouble
usually used in the phrase a devil of
be a devil
Brit informal - used to tell someone who is not sure about doing something to go ahead and do it
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
used to say that it is better to deal with a difficult person or situation you know than with a new person or situation that could be worse;
between the devil and the deep blue sea
old-fashioned :in a situation that is difficult because you must choose between two unpleasant things
go to the devil
informal - used to forcefully and rudely tell someone to go away and leave you alone
like the devil
informal
very much
with a lot of energy and speed
speak/talk of the devil
informal - used in speech to say that someone you have been talking about has unexpectedly appeared
US