# devious

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈdiː.vi.əs/ · frequency rank #27,807

## Definitions
1. Cunning or deceiving, not straightforward or honest, not frank.
2. Roundabout, circuitous, deviating from the direct or ordinary route.

## Etymology
1590s, "out of the common or direct way," from Latin devius (“out of the way, remote, off the main road”), from de via, from de (“off”) (see de-) + via (“way, road”). Compare deviate. Originally in the Latin literal sense; the figurative sense of "deceitful" is first recorded 1630s. Related to deviously, deviousness. Figurative senses of the Latin word were "retired, sequestered, wandering in the byways, foolish, inconsistent."

## Easily confused with
- **Devos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devious-vs-devos)
- **devout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devious-vs-devout)
- **devour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devious-vs-devour)
- **DevOps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devious-vs-devops)
- **dubious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devious-vs-dubious)
- **devils** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devils-vs-devious)
- **devices** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devices-vs-devious)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ddevious`, `deivous`, `deviosu`, `deviouss`, `deviuos`, `devoius`, `devvious`, `dveious`, `edvious`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/devious