what the Devil
Used to add emphasis to “what” when beginning a question.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“What the devil is that noise outside?”
“What the devil are you wearing to the party?”
“What the devil does this strange button do?”
“What the devil do you want from me at this hour?”
“I opened the package and wondered, what the devil is this supposed to be?”
“My boss looked at the messy office and asked what the devil we had been doing all morning.”
“I checked my bank account and shouted what the devil when I saw the huge bill.”
“The mechanic looked under the hood of the broken car and asked what the devil the previous owner had done to the engine.”
“As the strange lights appeared in the night sky, he stared upward and whispered, what the devil is happening?”
Inherited from Middle English *what þe devel* and *what devel*, the phrase persists as a relic of medieval emphasis. The definite article was occasionally discarded in earlier usage, though the sentiment remained consistent. The construction has remained structurally stable since the Middle English period, serving as a standard intensification of the interrogative.
- 01
ain't what it used to was
Is not what it used to be; (expressing nostalgia).
- 02
blue devils
Low spirits; depression.
- 03
come what may
In spite of anything that might happen; whatever may occur.
- 04
dance with the devil
To engage in risky and immoral behavior.
- 05
devil dancing
Risky, reckless or potentially immoral behavior.
- 06
devil in disguise
A person or thing that appears to be good, honest, or upstanding, but is inherently nasty, evil, or damaging.
- 07
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 08
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.
Last updated August 10, 2026