What does devious mean?
Devious is an adjective describing deliberate dishonesty, cunning, or a willingness to deceive others to achieve one's ends. A devious person schemes, manipulates, or conceals the truth rather than acting openly; the word carries strongly negative connotations and is typically used to criticize someone's character or tactics — as in a devious plan, a devious smile, or a devious business practice. A second, older sense applies to routes, paths, or courses that are winding, indirect, or deviating from the most direct way, though this meaning is less frequent in modern usage. The word derives from the Latin devious, meaning 'off the road' or 'out of the way,' from via ('road'), which also gives English words like deviate and deviation. This origin is apt: a devious person is metaphorically one who leads you off the straight and narrow. It pairs naturally with nouns like plan, scheme, mind, and route, and contrasts with qualities such as honesty, candor, and straightforwardness.
(Of a person or their behavior) deliberately dishonest or deceitful; skilled at using tricks or manipulation.
"Her devious tactics eventually cost her the respect of her colleagues."
Strongly pejorative when applied to people.
(Of a route or course) not direct or straightforward; winding or roundabout.
"We followed a devious mountain trail that doubled back on itself several times."
The word for a sneaky schemer literally comes from the Latin word for 'road' — a devious person is one who takes you off the straight path.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of devious
Devious comes from the Latin adjective devious, formed from de- ('away from') plus via ('road' or 'way'), originally meaning 'out of the way' or 'off the road.' It entered English in the early 17th century, first carrying the literal sense of a winding or indirect path before developing its figurative sense of moral crookedness — a person whose conduct departs from the straight path of honesty. It shares this Latin root with related English words such as deviate, deviation, and deviant, all of which preserve the core idea of turning aside from a direct course.
Related word forms
How devious is actually used
Almost always carries negative connotations when describing people or their motives. The sense relating to physical routes is older and less common today but remains standard. Register is neutral; suitable in both formal and informal contexts.
Easily confused with devious
"Previous" means occurring earlier in time, while "devious" describes someone dishonest or a winding route — the words look and sound similar but are unrelated in meaning.
"Devious" is the correct spelling; "devious" is sometimes misspelled with a "v" where the "i" belongs.