Handsome devil what does it mean

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of devil Entry 1 of 2. Definition of devil Entry 2 of 2. Examples of devil in a Sentence Noun She is a tricky devil , so be careful. Those kids can be little devils sometimes. He's such a lucky devil that he'll probably win the lottery someday.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Some people who the world called monsters would reveal themselves not to be, and some who were angels would turn out to eventually do the devil 's bidding. Lo's travel and expense team works harder.

First Known Use of devil Noun before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb , in the meaning defined at sense 1. Verb derivative of devil entry 1. Learn More About devil. Time Traveler for devil The first known use of devil was before the 12th century See more words from the same century.

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. A very wicked or malevolent person. A person who is mischievous, energetic, reckless, etc. An unlucky, unhappy person. Anything that is difficult or is hard to operate, control, understand, etc. Printer's devil. Any of various machines for tearing things, as paper or rags, to bits. To tear up rags, etc. To annoy; torment; tease. The bad part of the conscience ; the opposite to the angel. A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless , spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.

A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil. A dust devil. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil. To annoy or bother ; to bedevil.

To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking , as with pepper. To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments. To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yolks are added condiments and spices, which mixture then is placed into the halved whites to be served. A severe reprimand or expression of anger. TV Tropes. The very Devil, himself, is supposed to look amazingly-charming, and can attract almost any woman.

It's a very common expression, used as a compliment of sorts. It is used to compliment someone, a man, but at the same time, usually to give a little jab, like saying "You're a handsome man, and you're very much aware of it. Word Reference. Urban Dictionary said. That Handsome devil sure knows how to make me mad yet, glad. I wanna push him off a cliff but then jump to save him. Yahoo Answers said.

The Wordreference thread confuses the issue. The first two say pretty much the same. The guy is handsome; so handsome that other men acknowledge it. The Devil part of the expression, when said by a man, can indicate some envy of this guy. He is so handsome that women find him to be an instant temptation. If they are already involved in another relationship, then they may see him as an invitation to sin.

Some can find him hard to resist. But he also knows all that. So he flaunts it, and perhaps teases women with it, enjoying the effect on others. Some people might call that behavior cheeky. A handsome devil is charming and good-looking, but with connotations of danger and mischief.

The idea is that his good looks are a warning sign. However, it's usually used playfully or flirtatiously. Devils, traditionally, tempted people into sin, placing their souls at risk. A handsome devil was a devil in a pleasing form, that one might not recognise as a devil. Euphemistically, a good looking or charming person, with hidden dark motives could be called a "handsome devil".

Over time the evilness aspect of the "handsome devil" has been watered down greatly, so that one wouldn't use it to refer to a person who was actually, seriously "evil". It's mostly used for playful references to attractive men who might tempt one to indulge in hedonistic pleasures that might have once been widely regarded as "sinful".