the devil is a liar
A general expression of distrust, particularly implying that another person is attempting to deceive the speaker, or that a situation is not, or can not be, as it appears.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't trust his promise; the devil is a liar.”
“She told me the car was in perfect condition, but the engine died immediately; the devil is a liar.”
“When the politician insisted that the new tax would benefit the poor, the skeptical crowd muttered that the devil is a liar.”
- 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 in disguise
A person or thing that appears to be good, honest, or upstanding, but is inherently nasty, evil, or damaging.
- 05
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 06
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.
- 07
devil's luck
astounding good luck.
- 08
folk devil
A person or type of person blamed by the public for various ills, as during a moral panic.
Last updated August 10, 2026