Bedevil (Verb)
Meaning 1
Treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- The dictator's regime bedeviled the opposition leaders with harassment and arrest.
- Their cruel jokes bedeviled the new student, making him feel unwelcome.
- The news of the war bedeviled the families of the soldiers fighting overseas.
- The children bedeviled the babysitter with demands for sweets and attention.
- The corrupt executives bedeviled the whistleblower with threats and intimidation.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- The complex math problems continued to bedevil her, no matter how many times she tried to solve them.
- The plot twist in the movie bedeviled the critics, making it difficult for them to predict what would happen next.
- The team's inconsistent performance bedeviled their coach, who couldn't figure out what was going wrong.
- The poet's use of symbolism bedeviled many readers, who struggled to understand the deeper meaning.
- The paradox of free will bedeviled philosophers for centuries, sparking intense debates and discussions.