| Principal Translations |
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2026:
| devil n | (evil supernatural being) | diablo nm |
| | | demonio nm |
| | Hell is supposed to be full of devils. |
| | Se supone que el Infierno está lleno de diablos. |
| | Se supone que el Infierno está lleno de demonios. |
the devil,
the Devil n | often capitalized (religion: evil being, Satan) | Satanás n propio m |
| | | Diablo n propio m |
| | | Demonio n propio m |
| | The preacher warned his congregation not to allow the Devil to tempt them. |
| | El pastor advirtió a su congregación que no dejara que Satanás los tentara. |
| devil n | figurative (evil person) (figurado) | diablo nm |
| | (figurado) | demonio nm |
| | The dictator was a devil to his people. |
| | El dictador era un diablo para su pueblo. |
| | El dictador era un demonio para su pueblo. |
| devil n | figurative, informal (mischievous person) (figurado) | diablo nm |
| | (figurado) | demonio nm |
| | (figurado) | diablillo nm |
| | Those devils poured a bucket of water over me! |
| | ¡Esos diablos me tiraron un cubo de agua por encima! |
| | ¡Esos demonios me tiraron un cubo de agua por encima! |
| | ¡Esos diablillos me tiraron un cubo de agua por encima! |
| devil [sb]⇒ vtr | mainly US (annoy, harass) | molestar a vtr + prep |
| | | fastidiar a vtr + prep |
| | The journalists kept devilling the politician. |
| | Los periodistas siguieron molestando al político. |
| devil [sth]⇒ vtr | (food: prepare with spices) (MX) | enchilar⇒ vtr |
| | | sazonar con picante loc verb |
| | I'm devilling an egg for lunch. |
| | Voy a sazonar con picante un huevo para comer. |
| the devil interj | (emphatic expletive, mild oath) | diablos interj |
| | | demonios interj |
| | | carajo interj |
| | The devil, he will; I'm putting a stop to it right now. Who the devil told you that? |
| | Diablos que lo hará; voy a poner fin a todo esto. |
| | ¿Quién demonios te dijo eso? |
| a devil n | figurative, informal ([sth] difficult, resistant) (figurado) | tortura nf |
| | | horror nm |
| | (AR, coloquial) | parto nm |
| | This job is a devil, but it's interesting. |
| | Este trabajo es una tortura, pero es interesante. |
| a devil of a n | figurative, informal ([sth] difficult, unpleasant) | de perros loc adj |
| | | difícil adj mf |
| | My family has had a devil of a time this past year. |
| | Mi familia tuvo un año de perros el año pasado. |
Compound Forms:
devil | printer's devil |
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2026:
Better the devil you know,
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't expr | figurative ([sth] bad is better than the unknown) | Mejor viejo conocido que nuevo por conocer expr |
| | | Mejor malo conocido que bueno por conocer expr |
between the devil and the deep blue sea,
between a rock and a hard place,
between Scylla and Charybdis expr | figurative (facing a dilemma) | entre la espada y la pared expr |
blue heaven,
blue angel,
blue devil n | US, slang (drug: barbiturate) | barbitúrico nm |
Cartesian diver,
Cartesian devil n | (teaching aid: demonstrates buoyancy) | ludión nm |
| | | diablillo de Descartes loc nom m |
| the Devil incarnate n | figurative (embodiment of evil, [sb] wicked) (figurado) | la encarnación del demonio, la encarnación del Diablo loc nom f |
| | | la encarnación del mal loc nom f |
| | A great many people regard Hitler as the Devil incarnate. |
| | Mucha gente considera que Hitler es la encarnación del demonio. |
| | (figurado) | el mismo Diablo, el mismo Demonio loc nom m |
| | | la piel del diablo loc nom f |
| | | la piel de Judas loc nom f |
| | Mucha gente considera que Hitler es el mismo Diablo. |
| a devil of a job n | informal (difficult, challenging task) (figurado, coloquial) | parto nm |
| | | tarea complicada nf + adj |
| devil ray n | (manta ray: flat-bodied fish) | mantarraya nf |
| | Steve Irwin met his death when he was stung by a devil ray on the Great Barrier Reef. |
| | Steve Irwin murió cuando le picó una mantarraya en la Gran Barrera de Coral. |
| | (biología) | manta nf |
| | Steve Irwin murió cuando le picó una manta en la Gran Barrera de Coral. |
| devil-may-care adj | informal (person, approach: reckless) | despreocupado/a adj |
| | | temerario/a adj |
| devil-may-care attitude n | informal (recklessness) | temeridad nf |
| | | despreocupación nf |
| devil's advocate n | figurative (argues for [sth] unpopular) | abogado del diablo, abogada del diablo loc nm, loc nf |
| | Can I play devil's advocate, and ask you a question? |
| | ¿Puedo ser el abogado del diablo y hacerte una pregunta? |
| devil's claw n | (herb) | garra del diablo loc nom m |
| | | uña del diablo loc nom m |
| devil's food cake n | (cookery: rich chocolate sponge) | pastel del diablo loc nom m |
| | | torta del diablo loc nom f |
devil's tongue,
snake palm n | (smelly tropical plant) | lengua del diablo loc nom f |
| | | konjak, konjaku nm |
| dust devil n | (small whirlwind) | remolino nm |
| | Visitors to Texas are likely to see dust devils on the highway. |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Vimos varios remolinos al lado de la carretera camino a Chihuahua. |
| | | torbellino nm |
| embrace the devil v expr | figurative (accept [sth] you hate) (coloquial) | acostarse con el diablo loc verb |
| give the devil his due v expr | informal (give credit to [sb] you dislike) | ser justo hasta con el diablo expr |
| go to the devil v expr | informal (fail completely, be ruined) | arruinarse⇒ v prnl |
| go to the devil v expr | informal (person: become depraved) | volverse depravado v prnl + adj |
| | | volverse degenerado v prnl + adj |
| go to the devil interj | potentially offensive, informal (expletive: disgust, rejection) | ¡vete a la porra! interj |
| | | ¡vete al diablo! loc interj |
have a devil of a job doing [sth],
have a devil of a job to do [sth] v expr | informal (do [sth] difficult, challenging) | pasarla mal haciendo algo loc verb |
let the devil take the hindmost,
the devil take the hindmost expr | (leave others to their fates) | que sea lo que Dios quiera expr |
| little devil n | figurative, informal (naughty child) | pequeño demonio expr |
| | | tunante n común |
| | My brother was a little devil when he was young. |
| | Mi hermano era un pequeño demonio cuando era chico. |
| lucky devil n | figurative, informal ([sb] fortunate or envied) | tío con suerte, tía con suerte nm, nf + loc adj |
| | (ES, coloquial) | tío con estrella, tía con estrella nm, nf + loc adj |
| | | suertudo, suertuda nm, nf |
orange hawkweed,
devil's paintbrush n | (plant: orange flowers) | pilosella aurantiaca loc nom f |
| play the devil with [sth] v expr | informal (ruin, spoil) | arruinar⇒ vtr |
| | | destruir⇒ vtr |
| put the devil in [sb] v expr | informal, figurative (make [sb] wild, angry) | sacar de quicio a loc verb |
| raise the devil v expr | (cause a commotion) (coloquial) | armar la gorda expr |
| | | armar lío loc verb |
| raise the devil v expr | (make an emphatic protest) (coloquial) | armar la gorda expr |
| | | hacer un escándalo loc verb |
| red devil n | US, slang (capsule of drug) | demonio rojo loc nom m |
| she-devil n | figurative, pejorative (evil woman) | diabla nf |
| spawn of the devil n | figurative, pejorative (very unpleasant person) | engendro del demonio loc nom mf |
| | My mother-in-law can't stand me; she thinks I'm the spawn of the devil! |
Talk of the devil,
Speak of the devil interj | ([sb] just mentioned arrives) | hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma expr |
| | | hablando del rey de Roma... expr |
| Tasmanian devil n | (animal: fierce marsupial) | demonio de Tasmania loc nom m |
the devil is in the details,
the devil is in the detail expr | (problematic small parts) | el diablo está en los detalles expr |
| | Read the contract carefully; the devil is in the details. |
| | Lee cuidadosamente el contrato: el diablo está en los detalles. |
| the devil to pay expr | informal (repercussions, future trouble) | el que la hace la paga expr |
| | | el que a hierro mata a hierro muero expr |
| ursine dasyure n | (Tasmanian devil) | demonio de Tasmania loc nom m |
What the heck,
What the devil interj | euphemism, informal (disbelief, incomprehension) (coloquial) | ¿qué demonios?, ¿qué diablos? loc interj |
| | (coloquial) | ¿qué rayos? loc interj |
| | What the heck! Someone's moved my desk! |
What the devil ... ?,
What the heck ...? expr | euphemism, informal (what) (coloquial) | ¿qué demonios?, ¿qué diablos? loc interj |
| | (coloquial) | ¿qué rayos? loc interj |
| | What the heck is going on here? |
what the heck,
what the devil pron | euphemism, informal (incomprehension) (coloquial) | qué demonios, qué diablos expr |
| | (coloquial) | qué rayos expr |
| | I don't know what the heck is taking him so long. |
| | No sé qué demonios lo está demorando tanto. |
