Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DEVIOUS

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explore the archives: Turn today's devious into a verb, and you get devi___, a word we checked out recently whose meaning is different enough from devious to warrant these two separate issues. Can you define that verb? And explain why its roots literally mean "off the way, channel, or course"? make your point with... "DEVIOUS" Literally devious things follow a path that winds, strays, or rambles. And figuratively devious people and things have strayed from the path of honesty: they're sneaky, tricky, or dishonest. Pronunciation: DEE vee us Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a devious thing" or "a devious person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was devious" or "He's devious.") Other forms: deviously, deviousness How to use it: The reason we're taking a look at this fairly simple, common word is that its exact meaning is often misunderstood. Because there's a fine line between straying from the proper path and being flat-out evil, people often assume that "devious" means "evil" when in fact the definition is closer to "erring" and "cunning."  For example, devious stares and devious smiles aren't necessarily wicked or evil--they may simply be sly. A villain who's upfront about his villainy is perhaps devious in that he's wandered off the path of righteousness--but his plans aren't devious. With that said, talk about devious people and characters, especially devious enemies and villains; devious behavior and ways; devious crimes; devious plans, tricks, scams, and strategies; devious proposals, offers, and threats; devious ways and means; devious uses and purposes; and so on. Your tone can range from lighthearted ("the devious smiles of the first graders") to serious ("the devious threats between enemy nations"). examples: I care much more about nurturing my toddler's love of books than I do about, say, getting her to bed on time. It's a weakness she senses and exploits for her own devious purposes. If an online video denies me access to the controls--pause, play, or skip ahead--I go ahead and assume it's some sort of devious scam. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "devious" means when you can explain it without saying "underhanded" or "evasive." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "In (a particular book, show, or movie), (Character) is your typical devious (type of person)." Example: "In Pete's Dragon, Dr. Terminus is your typical devious quack." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. License Plate Words! You’ve spotted a cluster of three letters on a license plate. Keep all three letters together—don’t insert any letters between them—but add any letters you like to the left and/or right of the cluster to form words. For example, when you spot the cluster CKG, you can form BACKGROUND and BACKGAMMON (and all their related words, like BACKGROUNDER and BACKGAMMONING, for a total of 8 possible words). We’ll move from easy to hard clusters as the month goes on. (For the curious, you can generate a complete list of answers using a tool like this one.) Let's play! Our previous question: If you spot the cluster AQU, you can use it to form 86 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? Possible answers: You may have thought of AQUA, AQUARIUM, AQUILINE, OPAQUE, PLAQUE,  and/or SEAQUAKE. Try this today: If you spot the cluster APL, you can use it to form 83 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? review today's word: 1. One opposite of DEVIOUS is A. WARMHEARTED B. FULLY COMMITTED C. STRAIGHTFORWARD 2. _____ mounted, pushing the students to _____ in ever more devious ways. A. Tension .. study B. Pressure and competition .. get ahead C. Throughout the stands, cheers and whoops .. reach the finish line Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B