devil in disguise
A person or thing that appears to be good, honest, or upstanding, but is inherently nasty, evil, or damaging.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That charming man is actually a devil in disguise.”
“She seemed like the perfect business partner, but I soon realized she was a devil in disguise who wanted to steal my company.”
“The charismatic leader promised prosperity to the desperate citizens, yet history eventually revealed him to be a devil in disguise who sought only his own power.”
- 01
blue devils
Low spirits; depression.
- 02
dance with the devil
To engage in risky and immoral behavior.
- 03
devil dancing
Risky, reckless or potentially immoral behavior.
- 04
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 05
devil's advocate
One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
- 06
devil's luck
astounding good luck.
- 07
folk devil
A person or type of person blamed by the public for various ills, as during a moral panic.
- 08
give the devil his due
To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked.
Last updated August 10, 2026