What does bedevilled mean?
"Bedevilled" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "bedevil," meaning to torment, plague, or persistently trouble someone or something. It is also used adjectivally to describe projects, institutions, or people long beset by recurring difficulties — one might speak of a company bedevilled by debt or a negotiation bedevilled by mistrust. The word derives from "devil," and its imagery retains something of that origin: to be bedevilled is to be harassed as though by mischievous or malevolent forces. In tone it leans formal or literary, appearing frequently in journalism and historical writing to convey sustained, nagging adversity rather than a single misfortune. The spelling with a double L ("bedevilled") follows British conventions, while American English typically uses "bedeviled." A related noun, "bedevilment," denotes the state or act of such tormenting. The word remains useful precisely because it captures chronic, almost supernatural persistence of trouble — a nuance plain words like "bothered" cannot supply.
Past tense and past participle of "bedevil": to have persistently troubled, tormented, or plagued someone or something.
"For years the project had been bedevilled by funding shortfalls."
Standard British spelling doubles the final consonant ("bedevilled"); American English typically writes "bedeviled."
Describing something chronically beset by difficulties or problems.
"a long-bedevilled industry struggling to modernise"
Adjectival use is common in journalistic and historical writing.
To be bedevilled is literally to be given over to the devil's work — a word whose fiery origins still smoulder in every sentence about intractable problems.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bedevilled
"Bedevilled" comes from the verb "bedevil," formed in English from the prefix "be-" plus "devil." The word "devil" itself traces back through Old English "dēofol" to Latin "diabolus" and ultimately Greek "diabolos," meaning slanderer or accuser. The verb arose in English around the late 16th to early 17th century, first suggesting possession or torment by evil spirits before broadening to mean any persistent plaguing. It shares this root with related words such as "devilish," "devilry," "devilment," and the Latinate borrowing "diabolical."
Related word forms
How bedevilled is actually used
The spelling "bedevilled" (double L) is standard British usage; American English typically prefers "bedeveled"-style single-L forms such as "bedeviled". The word carries a slightly formal or literary register and implies repeated, nagging difficulty rather than a single setback. Note that "bedevilled" functions both as the past tense/past participle of the verb "bedevil" and as an adjectival form describing something so afflicted.
Easily confused with bedevilled
"Be-devilled" is a hyphenated variant sometimes seen but the standard form is the single word "bedevilled"; they mean the same thing.
"Devilled" describes food prepared with hot spices (as in devilled eggs) or, informally, treated harshly, whereas "bedevilled" means persistently troubled or tormented.